Keeping Up Appearances
by mind-the-apostrophe
Summary: *SEQUEL to Heart of a Champion* After avoiding gymnastics for years, Kaylie Cruz returns to the Rock as an agent for Payson and Sasha's rising star. Now, if only Austin Tucker would leave her alone and let her do her job...
1. The Rock Resurrected

_ This picks up a few months after "The Heart of a Champion." Enjoy, whether you've read the prequel or not (but you totally should...)! _

* * *

**Chapter 1**

For people who hated attention, Payson Keeler and Sasha Belov were very good at attracting it.

It wasn't their fault, really. All eyes were on them at the 2018 Worlds Competition - not only because they had a great deal to prove as the National Team coaches, but because the cameras seemed to gravitate toward them regularly. No doubt someone at the cable network realized that these people were likely the most attractive and interesting coaches on the floor and instructed their workers to keep a lens on them on all times. This ended up being a wise decision for many reasons.

To say that the United States made a splash at Worlds would be the understatement of the century. The team exceeded everyone's expectations that day, ranking second as a whole between invincible China and impressive France. Ever since the early retirement of National Champion Keera Donaldson, experts had brushed aside the American gymnasts' potential on the world stage. They thought it was unlikely that any girl could step up to fill Keera's shoes, let alone medal in an international event. Little did they know, Sasha Belov and Payson Keeler were the last two coaches on the planet to shy away from a challenge. The World would soon discover the wild card they had up their sleeves.

When the Rock's Jessica Rudolph beat all the favorites and won the gold at Worlds, the crowd erupted in ecstatic and surprised cheers. This blond sixteen-year-old from Georgia had come out of nowhere, shocking her peers and the judges with flawless routines. In a matter of months she'd transitioned from a cautious, cookie-cutter gymnast into a well-rounded, risk-taking athlete on every apparatus. Evidence of her coaches' instruction marked her style: the fearlessness from Sasha was seen in her vault and floor routines while Payson's graceful precision lined every movement on the beam and uneven bars. The second her scores were updated and Jessica's name appeared next to the number one slot, Sasha Belov grabbed Payson Keeler and kissed her firmly on the mouth. The first shot of U.S. victory was of the two National coaches in a lip lock with their gymnast, Jessica, laughing heartily nearby at their nationally televised PDA. It was an iconic image to say the least.

If anyone didn't already know that those two were madly in love, they received the message loud and clear that night.

Abroad and riding on post victory bliss, Payson and Sasha managed to dodge most of the media and escape for a few romantic days alone. They went sightseeing with Payson's six-year-old daughter Ally, they slept in, and they did something that Kim Keeler would never forgive them for as along as they lived.

Payson Keeler and Sasha Belov eloped.

"You robbed me of a wedding, Payson!" Kim Keeler cried over the phone after Payson broke the news to her. Poor Payson tried her best to console her mother, pointing out that she would have never survived months of tedious event planning. Unlike other girls, Payson Keeler simply wasn't built for that sort of thing. Triple twists - yes, place settings and flowers - no.

"It wasn't completely impulsive..." Payson justified. "I mean, Sasha and I told you about our future plans. We just..._executed them at a faster rate_."

To appease her mourning mother, Payson let Kim plan a reception in Boulder to celebrate the spontaneous union. It was the least she could do for her.

"This is what we get for being impulsive." Payson sighed to Sasha as she hung up the phone. "My mother is going to invite everyone we've ever met to this thing. I hope you're prepared."

Sasha Belov grinned and walked over to his wife, hugging her from behind and planting a kiss on the curve of her neck.

"As long as I'm married to you...I'm fine." he said.

Payson leaned her head back into his shoulder and sighed. They fit together perfectly. Unfortunately, their blissful honeymoon period had been very short. Now back in Boulder, the couple immediately went back to the Rock to deal with the post-competition influx of phone calls from media outlets and inquiring parents. The Rocky Mountain Gymnasium had officially resurrected, finally rising to the former glory of its Rebel days. Sasha and Payson had a lot on their plate, but at least now they could tackle it together as partners.

* * *

_"This is nuts..." _Payson said, looking at the Rock's calendar. At present, she and Sasha were stowed away in the Rock's main office, piecing together their training schedules bit by bit. The room was in its usual state of organized chaos. There was little either of them could do to bring sanity and order into their lives. "Jessica is in such high demand, I'm not sure when she'll have time to train properly. I think all of this media attention is starting to intimidate her. We can't let it impact her gymnasts..."

Sasha nodded in agreement. They couldn't go on like this. World Champion Jessica Rudolph was starting to buckle underneath the pressure of publicity. At least she looked the part. With her white smile, curly blond hair, and green eyes, she made for a good picture and cover. Sports channels and morning shows were christening her "America's Next Teenager Sweetheart," but Sasha knew this was probably because none of them had actually spoken to her yet. Though talented and sweet looking, the girl was far from eloquent and even further from tactful. He cold only imagine the possible embarrassment Jessica would experience if she didn't get some media coaching soon.

He glanced over Payson's shoulder at the marked-up calendar she was laboring over. "You can't handle all this scheduling for her either, Payson. We're not qualified to give her advice on who to speak with and how to present herself. We don't have the time and, frankly, we're not very good at it."

She raised her eyebrow in confusion. "What are you saying? Are you saying she should hire an agent?"

"I don't know how she's survived so long without one."

Payson sat back with an insecure look on her face. "You're not suggesting...You're not suggesting we hire MJ, are you?"

Sasha couldn't help but grin at her tentative question. He had just put a ring on this woman's finger and made life-long vows, yet she still managed to be jealous of an old fling he had years ago. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "Of course not." he promised. "but Jessica has to hire someone. The Rudolphs keep calling me and asking for suggestions. I don't know what to say to them."

"Hmmm..." Payson thought. "We need someone sane...someone who is willing to work with us and knows the demands of the sport. They can't be all about the glitz."

"Someone smart, too." Sasha added. "We don't need any sloppy representation, especially for Jessica. She needs someone to keep her focused, but not inflate her head before the Olympics."

"Absolutely." agreed his wife, relisting the qualifications in her head. "They need to put Jessica and her well being first; understand the athlete and not just the business..." Suddenly, a wave of realization washed over her and a smile crept up slowly on Payson Keeler's face.

"Uh…Payson?" Sasha asked, waving his hand in front of her blank stare. "What's going on?"

"I know _exactly _who we should ask…"

* * *

"This seat taken?"

A petite brunette looked up at this question. She was sitting at an airport bar alone, attracting some attention from surrounding males. This was no surprise considering her looks. With a toned figure, long hair, tan skin, and a stylish gray dress she was certainly enough to induce head turns from the opposite sex. She gave the inquiring young man a small smile and gestured politely to the empty seat on her right before looking back up at a mounted television set.

_"Jessica Rudolph," _the reporter on the screen asked. _"You're the new world champion. What's next? The Olympics?"_

_"I certainly hope so!"_ the young girl said, her voice breaking nervously. _"That would be nice. The Olympics, I mean. That would be so embarrassing if I didn't go now..."_

The young woman heaved a heavy sigh and draped one leg gracefully over the other, taking dainty sips from her martini glass. The man next to her subtly looked her up and down - he couldn't help himself.

"So..." he started nervously, trying to turn his A game on. "Drinking alone, uh?" He hoped his joke wouldn't take offense.

It didn't. The brunette chuckled. "Well, I'm going home today. _It's been a while._"

"Oh." he said with a knowing grin. "I get it."

"Yeah, I have to go to a wedding - well, it's _sort of _a wedding." she said. "I haven't seen these people in a while, so I thought I'd relax and take the edge off before my flight."

He watched her attention travel back to the interview on the television. He couldn't tell whether he was bothering her or whether she was easily distracted.

"Are you interested in gymnastics?" he asked, nodding toward the television.

"Uh..._I used to be_." The girl looked down at her lap, suppressing a secretive smile.

Finally brave enough, the young man extended his hand toward the pretty woman. "I'm Tom, by the way."

"Kaylie Cruz." she returned his grip firmly. Kaylie then lifted her left hand from its place on her lap, resting it firmly on the counter for him to see.

_Ah, an engagement ring_, Tom observed cursing his bad luck. _I should have known..._

"You know what?" he said, looking at his watch hand nervously. "I-I just remembered - I have to head to my gate now. It was nice to meet you!"

Kaylie shook her head with amusement and watched the young man scurry away. She found that the good ole ring flaunt was enough to prevent most men from hitting on her. This one had made an admirable effort, though. Kaylie had to give him credit. She sat forward again and finished her drink, catching the tail end of the television interview.

_"Do you have any advice to girls your age, Jessica?" t_he reporter asked.

_"Uh..."_ the blond teenager paused, eyes shifting back and forth. _"I mean, I don't know. I don't know much about normal teenagers. It's not like I spend time at the mall. Elites generally don't hang out with people our own age. I train most of the time."_

"Wow..." Kaylie said to herself as she watched the train wreck unfold. Jessica Rudolph – a girl who had been quickly thrust into America's spotlight - definitely lacked the self awareness and tact needed to get through an interview. Then again, Kaylie knew more than anyone how hard it was to hone normal social skills when most of the interactions you experience as a teenager are with inanimate gym equipment. _Poor girl._

Kaylie Cruz thanked the bartender and placed some money on the table. Now more relaxed, she was ready to take on (what she hoped would be) a short weekend in Boulder, Colorado.

At the ripe age of twenty-five, Kaylie was taking what her older brother Leo called "an unconventional life path." This phrase was eye roll inducing. Of course Leo, the man with more direction than a traffic light, would think that about her. _How typical._

Seven years ago, Kaylie Cruz ended her gymnastics career on a somewhat lower note than she dreamed, winning just one event bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic games. She pretended like she wasn't disappointed...and frankly she was convincing. After months of press with Emily and Payson and repeating the phrase _"so proud of my team"_ over and over again, Kaylie Cruz started to believe it herself. She successfully brushed aside her letdown and as soon as the traveling and promotions ended, she closed the back cover on that phase of her life for good. Kaylie had been eager to leave gymnastics - and most of the people in it - behind.

Kaylie then did what any independently wealthy eighteen-year-old would do: she went to Europe to broaden her worldview. At that point, her parents' marriage was completely dissolved and Leo was wrapped up in his PHD program for chemistry, leaving the Cruz family without a home base. In her opinion, leaving the country was the perfect remedy to this situation. Kaylie spent a few years floating around happily. She learned French and Italian, took up photography, attended cooking classes in France, and even had a brief stunt in the fashion industry. Eventually she settled in London where she met her fiancé, Eric.

All in all, she spent a good chunk of her adult life successfully avoiding gymnastics. Kaylie didn't know it yet, but her streak was coming to an end and she would soon be tumbling back into the sport - _that is, is Sasha Belov and Payson Keeler had anything to say about it._

* * *

**a/n **- so what do you think? Next chapter: the reception (enter Austin Tucker)...


	2. The New Kaylie Cruz

**Chapter 2**

It was very rare for Emily Kmetko and Lauren Tanner to be cooperative in any way. Necessity, however, is the inspiration of many improbabilities. For a while now both girls had adopted a shared mission: keep Kaylie Cruz away from Austin Tucker.

It all started a few months ago when the Rock Rebels reunited to offer Payson Keeler support during her media meltdown. Not every single mother in America had to worry about such PR disasters, but as a former Olympics gold medalist Payson Keeler was anything but ordinary. Emily, Kaylie, and Lauren came to the rescue and assisted her in any way they could – rallying support, organizing a Rock press conference, and handling the crazy aftermath. Thankfully, the weekend went by like a busy blur so it hadn't been hard for Lauren and Emily to run interference between Kaylie and Austin. They kept her busy and alert with tasks, making damn sure that Austin Tucker was nowhere near their friend.

They survived that weekend in one piece and now the next phase of their plan was to do the same thing during Payson and Sasha's reception – an event that would no doubt feature both star-crossed-almost-lovers. It would be a challenge, but nothing two worldclass athletes couldn't handle.

"Why are we doing this again?" Emily had asked. "She knows Austin is Ally's father. She's known for months now. Besides, she seems cool with the whole thing…"

She and Lauren were standing near the entrance of the Keeler's transformed backyard. With dazzling twinkle lights, lavender flower arrangements, and beautifully decorated tables, the scene was quite picturesque. Even the overly critical Lauren Tanner found little fault with the intimate, yet elegant reception set-up.

"She _seemed _fine!" Lauren corrected Emily. "That's not the same as _being fine_. Trust me, I know Kaylie. That girl is like a ticking time bomb. She holds it in, but when she emotionally explodes there will be causalities, I promise you that. I don't care how fine she pretends to be or what she told you over the phone. Personally, I'm unconvinced. It's best to stay on the safe side with these things."

Emily sighed and rested her hands on her very pregnant belly. She didn't much like the idea of trusting Lauren, but she had few options. She'd rather not see Kaylie break down during Payson's special day. She agreed to stick to their game plan. It was Emily's job to kept one eye on Austin throughout the evening and move Kaylie around accordingly.

When Kaylie Cruz walked through the gates of the reception, both Lauren and Emily descended on her with enthusiastic hugs. Though overwhelming, this gesture wasn't lost on Kaylie. She was pleased to see her old teammates. They went through the female ritual - complimenting each other's dresses, commenting on the venue, and catching up on life details. Emily talked about Damon and the baby (sex to be determined), Lauren shared her law school adventures, and Kaylie gushed about her fiancé back in London.

"He sounds really great, Kaylie." Emily said kindly. She glanced to her right subtly to make sure that Austin was a safe distance away.

Kaylie beamed. "He's perfect and so unlike any other guy I've dated. I mean, he's smart and adorably normal. I couldn't ask for more."

Lauren smiled half-heartedly. She wasn't sure if she could ever be in love with someone she found "adorably normal." To her, those adjectives didn't seem right.

Just then, Emily caught Austin's eye. He had been talking to someone across the yard, but smiled when they made distant eye contact. It seemed like he might come over. Emily panicked.

"Hey guys!" she said with more excitement than necessary. "How about we go inside? I think that Sasha and Payson have a receiving line going in there. Let's go say hi."

Lauren and Emily practically pushed Kaylie indoors, leaving Austin outside between the clusters of conversing guests in the yard. For now, the confrontation was averted successfully. Luckily, Kaylie hadn't seen Austin or picked up on their motives yet.

The three girls made their way over to the newlyweds in the Keelers' living room. After waiting for a few minutes behind other guests, they finally had the opportunity to speak to the happy couple. "Congratulations!" they cried, taking turns giving hugs to Sasha and Payson. It was both a strange and wonderful reunion for the five of them. Strange because two of them were legally wed and wonderful because the five separate pieces of the Rock's core were once again in the same place.

Kaylie tried not to look too enviously at Payson, but she couldn't help herself. Her old teammate was practically glowing with joy in her strapless, cream-colored dress. She smiled at her old coach, Sasha Belov, who was by Payson's side. As he spoke to them, she saw him stare lovingly at Payson like a distracted schoolboy. She decided that if a man ever looked at her that way, she would die a happy woman.

"You better treat her right, Belov." Lauren warned, gesturing between Sasha and Payson sternly.

He smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'll do my best. Thanks for the advice."

"I gave you two a new piece of astroturf for your dream trailer." Emily joined in on the playful banter with a smirk, motioning over to the pile of gifts stacked on the other side of the room. "It's in there somewhere..."

"Oh no!" Payson assured her friends. "We will NOT be living in the trailer. Sasha will only be using it for fishing trips."

"…and mid-day naps in the parking lot." Sasha muttered dreamily with a grin.

"Oh…" Kaylie said. "So that's where you always went in the middle of the afternoons while we were working out. I should've known…"

As the adults laughed, another person joined their party. A pair of large blue eyes framed by bangs and braided brown pigtails peaked through Sasha's legs and stared up at Kaylie.

"Hi." She girl said shyly, half hiding behind her stepfather.

"Why hello, Ally!" Emily said, simply delighted. Clearly, her maternal instincts were starting to kick in. "My, don't you look pretty in that pink dress."

"Wow…" Lauren said to Sasha and Payson. "She's so adorable…she looks just like–"

Emily Kmetko elbowed Lauren abruptly to prevent her from finishing her thought. Lauren was grateful for it too. With dark brown hair, light freckles and a mischievous grin, it was obvious which parent little Ally Keeler looked like…and it wasn't Payson.

Soon, the three girls decided to politely duck out of the receiving line and stop monopolizing Sasha and Payson's company. They were in high demand and couldn't stand around and chat with them all evening.

"Kaylie…" Sasha said, touching her arm lightly before she walked away.

His old gymnast turned around. "Yeah, Sasha?"

"Don't leave tonight without catching Payson and I. We need to talk to you about something."

Intrigued, Kaylie Cruz walked away and left the couple to visit with their guests. She caught up with Lauren and Emily. They were frozen, blocking the doorway that led outside to the backyard.

'What's up?" Kaylie asked with confusion. Both Lauren and Emily looked oddly planted on the spot, purposely blocking her path. Emily's large stomach wasn't much help either. It wasn't easy to navigate around a woman who was eight months pregnant.

"Uh…." Emily's eyes shifted nervously from side to side. "Nothing."

"I think we should stay inside. It's getting chilly outside." Lauren said with authority.

Kaylie raised her eyebrow. "No it's not. Does someone want to tell me what's going on?"

Clearly, the answer to that question was "no." Kaylie didn't see these girls as often as these days, but had a time in their lives where they were side-by-side for twelve hours everyday. Familiarity like that didn't wear away easily. Kaylie could still read them like books and something was obviously going on that she wasn't in on.

"_We should tell her…_" Emily said under her breath.

Lauren rolled her eyes in agitation. "You would fold, Kmetko!"

"What are you talking about?" Kaylie demanded.

"Um…" Emily bit her bottom lip. "Austin Tucker is sort of standing right outside."

Kaylie's face was blank. For an instant, Lauren thought something horrible was going to happen. Then, the moment passed and Kaylie broke in an eerie chuckle. Emily and Lauren smiled nervously at this odd reaction.

"Y-You think I care about Austin Tucker?" she said with amusement. "_That's a good one…_"

"Seriously?" Lauren asked. "You don't care at all that he's here…and that he's Ally's father…and that he _never_ told you?"

"Why would I?"

"Oh come on!" Lauren said defensively. "Everyone in the Olympic Village knew that you and Austin Tucker were nuts about each other."

"He drove me nuts." Kaylie clarified. "We weren't nuts about each other. There's a difference."

Emily furrowed her brow. "I guess we just assumed you might be upset. I mean, you two were pretty close, weren't you?"

She shrugged indifferently. "If you call constantly fighting "close," then yes I guess we were."

"Whatever you say, Kaylie…" Lauren said with a smirk. "All I'm saying is that you two always nipped at one another, but never did anything."

Kaylie laughed. "Lauren, he hooked up with Payson after the Olympics. I think it's safe to say that he did something. You know what, though? I could care less – and that's the truth. I don't even think we spoke during the press conference weekend…"

"Granted, I'm betting he was slightly distracted…" Emily pointed out.

"Even so." Kaylie said coolly, crossing her arms and leaning her hips to the side. "Any past chemistry – and I'm not saying there was any – is now completely irrelevant."

"_Oh really?_" Lauren challenged.

Kaylie rose to the unspoken challenge. With one graceful gesture of her hand she parted the two girls and slid through the doorway.

"Oh my God, _what is she doing_?" Lauren hissed to Emily.

But it was too late. A second later Kaylie had already behind an unsuspecting Austin Tucker. Judging by his hand motions he was talking animatedly with Kim Keeler about some subject. She glanced over at the doorway to make sure that Emily and Lauren were watching, then delicately reached up and tapped him on the shoulder.

Austin turned around mid-laugh. The second his eyes fell down on Kaylie, his expression melted into something between shock and confusion.

"Hello, Austin." Kaylie said with an artificial, cheery smile.

"Uh…hi." He said. He gave Emily Kmetko a pleading look, as if searching for answers. Apparently he also thought that Kaylie Cruz would be mad at him. "How are you Kaylie?"

_"I'm super._"

Kaylie Cruz folded her arms across her body in a defensive stance that Austin recognized well. Suddenly memories of her their half snarky, half flirty gym banter came back to him. She always used to stand that way – hip to the side, ponytail high, and arms crossed. Usually she wore a leo when she did this, but the tight pink cocktail dress she had on now was pretty close.

"You haven't changed at all…" Austin said with a smirk, looking her up and down. She rolled her eyes. He might not have been wearing sunglasses, but the smug half smirk was still alive and well.

"Thank you…I think." Kaylie returned. She wasn't sure whether that comment meant she looked good or looked like a teenage gymnast. "I just wanted to come over and say hello."

"Did you miss me?" Austin asked, his eyes twinkling.

Kaylie opened her mouth, but paused. She knew exactly what Austin Tucker was doing and she wasn't going to fall for it. He had a way of baiting her – pushing her buttons until she was worked up and thinking about him and only him. There was no way she was going to fall into that trap. _No, sir. _The last thing she wanted to do was fight with him, because fighting with Austin Tucker often felt a lot like flirting with Austin Tucker. That was a line she'd rather not straddle.

"It's hard to miss anyone in Europe." she argued.

"Oh, did Fraulein Cruz return to the motherland?"

"No, I've been broadening my experience, Austin." She returned with mild sarcasm. "Did you know that there is another world out there and it isn't centered around gymnastics?"

"You don't say?" Austin said with mock surprise.

Kaylie reminded herself to stay neutral. "Anyway," she continued. "I just thought I'd say hi. So…hi."

He smiled warmly at her, his brown eyes lighting up his boyish yet dark features. "Well then…hi yourself, Kaylie."

Kaylie escaped quickly, finding a window to end the conversation. She'd wanted to keep it brief anyway. She turned on her heel away from Austin. As she did so, she smiled with mock sweetness at Emily and Lauren, then made her way over to the pair with a smug, satisfied look on her face.

"See?" she said defiantly. "No chemistry at all. We had a conversation and it was no big deal. That man has _nothing _on me, I assure you."

Lauren and Emily exchanged doubtful looks, but remained silent.

* * *

A few hours later, Kaylie was having trouble feeling her feet. She hated blisters, but she loved the height that her heels gave her. It almost made her feel like an adult.

Almost.

She sighed and gave up, finally taking off her shoes and linking the straps between her fingers. She'd said her goodbyes at this point, sad to see the reception end. All in all, it had been a lovely evening in Boulder – surprisingly so. It wasn't London, but the familiar faces had been a comfort. Now, all she could think about was getting on a plane and putting an ocean between her and the gymnastics world.

_"Kaylie!"_

Kaylie turned around in the Keelers' driveway and saw Payson rushing after her.

"Don't go anywhere." Payson said. "I need to talk to you."

"Oh – right!" Kaylie said, remembering the promise she had made Sasha. "Sorry I forgot. What's up?"

Payson sighed. She looked like she was formulating a strategy.

"Kaylie," she said seriously. "How would you like to stay in Boulder for a little while longer?"

Kaylie laughed involuntarily. She couldn't help it; just moments before she had been daydreaming about driving on the left side of the road again. The irony was amazing.

"Sorry…" Kaylie said, clearing her face of humor. "Why?"

"We need someone to help Jessica Rudolph with publicity and sponsorships."

"You need an agent?" Kaylie asked with confusion. "I don't understand. What do you want from me exactly?"

Payson smiled at Kaylie and raised her eyebrows.

_"What?_" Kaylie cried, finally understanding. "Are you crazy? I don't have any experience with that stuff. Why are you asking me?"

"What are you talking about?" Payson said. "I couldn't have gotten through my press conference without you. Besides, I know you did some fashion PR in Paris a few years back. Lauren told me about it. You're a natural that this stuff, Kaylie."

"No, my dad is a natural at this stuff." she corrected. "Ask him."

"We're not just looking for another run-of-the-mill agent who can work the television stations and magazines. Jessica needs someone real, someone who knows what she's going through. You were an elite gymnast and you know where to draw the line. You know more about the sport's demands than any experienced agent. Sasha and I talked about this. You're the only name on our list."

"Look," Kaylie said, hating the idea of turning down Payson. "I'm flattered, but I left the Rock a long time ago. I'm done with gymnastics."

"Well, maybe gymnastics isn't done with you." Payson countered.

Kaylie sincerely doubted that. She walked past Payson and sat down on the curb. A second later Payson was sitting next to her. Clearly, this girl didn't give up easily. Then again, Kaylie already knew that about her former teammate.

"You're going to ruin that cream dress…." Kaylie said, nudging her friend.

Payson smirked. "I'll get over it."

Kaylie sighed and closed her eyes. She might regret the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "I'll have to talk to my fiancé about staying here longer…"

Payson smiled widely.

"_That's not a yes!_" Kaylie said quickly. "That's a maybe!"

"That's fine. I like maybe's" said Payson. "Just come in and meet Jessica tomorrow at the Rock. That's all Sasha and I are asking!"

Kaylie sighed. "Fine…."

Payson leapt up happily in triumph. Kaylie hoped she wasn't getting too attached to the idea. She had every intention of leaving for London by the end of the week. It would take a miracle for Kaylie to stay at this point. Boulder and womens' gymnastics were not in her future plans.

"Oh!" Payson turned around halfway back to the house. "Kaylie, do you need a ride home?"

"Uh…" Kaylie peered down the street. "I'm waiting for a cab. I called for one a few minutes ago."

"Well, Austin is leaving soon. He's inside saying goodbye to Ally. He's going in that direction and I'm sure he can give you a ride if you need one."

Kaylie shook her head vehemently. "No thanks. Really, I'm fine."

Thankfully, a cab appeared in front of the Keeler house about thirty seconds later. Kaylie slid in and shut the door on her very long, very surprising day. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

**a/n **- I went through soo many drafts of this chapter/versions of Kaylie and Austin reuniting. I just couldn't decide! haha. Now to answer some really good questions...YES! There will be Sasha/Payson moments in this fic, though they will be more lighthearted than dramatic. YES LizaGirl ! Nathan Miles from Boston shall be appearing in this fic too along will the rest of the "next generation" Rockies (as I so fondly refer to them in my head). Thanks so much for reviewing!

FYI - More about Kaylie and Austin's past will be revealed later (in case you haven't noticed, I'm a sucker for the flashback), but for now just assume that everything is consistent with the show minus Austin's declaration of love in the finale.


	3. Representing Jessica

**Chapter 3**

Kaylie returned to an empty house after Sasha and Payson's reception. Apparently her father - its only remaining resident - had gone out of town without notifying her. She wasn't surprised or concerned by this. As the years passed, the Cruz family had experienced more and more communication problems and somewhere along the line they all stopped acknowledging it. After all, if you didn't talk about the problem then it didn't exist, right?

_Right?_

With a heavy sigh, Kaylie laid her bag down in the large foyer and sank down on a nearby couch. Her sore muscles adjusted to the familiar feeling of the soft cushions. Out of instinct, she took out her phone and began dialing her fiancé's number, only to stop mid-way when she remembered the time difference between Boulder and London. There was no way she could call Eric now.

The Cruz home was like an untouched museum of her former domestic happiness. Though her mother had taken a few items with her when she moved to Florida a few years back, the house was generally the same as Kaylie remembered it. Each room had the same orientation and crisp, apple cinnamon smell. Kaylie's eyes ran over the rows and rows of photo frames filling the walls and coffee table tops. Images of her and Leo as grinning toddlers and her parents in Paris bore down on her and made her nostalgic.

_No way_, Kaylie thought to herself in defeat. _No way can I stand being here for longer and one night._

With a new sense of determination, Kaylie got up and headed for her old bedroom. She fully intended on sleeping, jumping on an early flight, and leaving Payson a regretful message about the agent job.

Then, as if struck by lightening, Kaylie halted at the sight of one last photograph. She picked up the frame and held it close to her face curiously. She hadn't seen the image in a very long time. It was a tiny brown-haired, brown-eyed girl in a hot pink leotard. With a matching scrunchie in her hair and a missing tooth in her grin, she looked like a happiest person in the World.

It was a version of Kaylie Cruz that had disappeared from the mirror long ago – a version that she missed desperately.

* * *

"Jessica! Hey, wait up!"

Nina Hart, the youngest member of the U.S. National Team and current Rock gymnast, ran out of the locker room after her teammate. It was Monday – the beginning of another hard week of training. Most of the athletes were walking around like weary zombies. Nina, however, had a shocking amount of energy.

"Aren't you exhausted?" Jessica asked her when the upbeat Nina reached her side. Both were walking toward the beam and proceeded to lift their legs up to stretch.

"No, not really." answered Nina. "You're the one who should be exhausted! Didn't you train yesterday? Don't you usually take Sundays off?"

Jessica blinked her tired eyes and sighed. "No, not since I won an international title. Apparently, if I'm not swimming, I'm sinking."

Nina made a face. That logic didn't sound appealing.

"I have an interview today, so I needed to make up for the lost time anyway." Jessica explained, holding her leg up toward her head.

Nina's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Jessica nodded, but didn't seem excited by the prospect. "Yeah, Payson set it up for me. It's with Teen Squad Magazine. They'll probably stick my picture next to a photo spread of Justin Bieber." She then made a disgusted face that properly revealed her opinion about that publication. Nina laughed.

_"Is it tea time, ladies?"_

Nina and Jessica turned around and saw their coach, Sasha Belov staring at them. His arms were crossed and his expression spelled out a clear warning sign. The girls took that as their cue to finish up stretching and get to work.

Sasha's gaze followed Jessica as she lifted herself slowly on to the beam. Instead of noting her extensions and timing, his mind instead wandered to a notable memory. The first time he met Jessica Rudolph he had been in a horrible mood. This unfortunately, was due to her pushy, controlling father who Sasha grouped in the same category as the Steve Tanners and Alex Cruzs of the world. It had been almost two years since that man barged in to his office started babbling about training his daughter. Usually, Sasha tried to ignore parents like that until they left him alone, but this one had been extremely persistent.

_"Please, Mr. Belov. We came all the way from Georgia. She won the silver at Junior Nationals. I trust you've heard of my daughter?"_

_Sasha grunted, but produced no words._

_"Fine, I see how it is..." Mr. Rudolph had said with distaste. "I've heard that you were rude, but this is absurd."_

_"What do you want from me exactly?" Sasha demanded, finally looking up from his work. "I can't take every gymnast that walks in here, Mr. Rudolph."_

_"She not just any gymnast!" Mr. Rudolph insisted. "She's Olympic bound, just like the other girls you've coached."_

_"Sir," Sasha said tartly. "I've seen your daughter perform and yes, she is talented but I'm simply not interested. She won't fit in here at the Rock."_

_"But she's ranked just behind Keera Donaldson!" Mr. Rudolph insisted. "Your gym could use someone in that tier to boost your reputation."_

_Sasha smirked at the man's comparison. "Sir, do you want to know that difference between Keera Donaldson and your daughter?"_

_Mr. Rudolph frowned. "What?"_

_"It's the difference between a Monet and a paint-by-numbers imitation."_

_It was rather harsh, but Sasha had been right. Anyone who watched Junior Nationals could tell that Jessica Rudolph had placed her potential in a tiny, limited box mostly out of fear and lack of proper training. Her coaches seemed to let her to be as good as she wanted to be, but never pushed her to be better. Her cookie-cutter routines and robotic approach made her look like she was more interested in pleasing the judges than being a true champion, let alone an Olympic contender. Sasha had seen many similar gymnasts emerge like Jessica and nine times out of ten their talent leveled off when they entered elite competitions. He simply wasn't going to waste his time._

_Mr. Rudolph's face turned red at Sasha's brutal truth. He stormed out of the office and ran down the office stairs. "Come on, Jessica." he bellowed as he powered walked toward the exit. _

_Sasha walked to his office window to make sure that they were leaving. What he saw, however, surprised him._

_"Coming, dad!" a female southern accent responded._

_Jessica hadn't just been sitting and waiting for her father – she'd been working out. The Georgia peach was making herself at home on the beam, not really caring that she was wearing street clothes. With blond hair down and ballet flats kicked off, she was balancing with pointed, bare feet. A swishy knee length sundress feathered out as she jumped up into a high split jump and then a switch leap. She looked up and saw the Sasha Belov staring at her from his doorway. She swayed in nervousness, then immediately jumped down._

_"Uh…sorry." She said, grabbing her shoes and running after her father._

_It was then that Sasha realized that maybe – just maybe – Jessica Rudolph wasn't a robot. If anything, she had unexpectedly sparked his interest. It took him about forty-five more seconds of contemplation before he ran out to the parking lot and offered her a spot at the Rock. The rest was history._

Now Sasha Belov was watching a seventeen-year-old, evolved version of Jessica perform her Worlds beam routine. She'd shaken her fears and had incorporated more risk into her routines, but in many ways she was still like that little girl jumping around in a sundress – a paradox of prim and unexpected. Nevertheless, he was very proud.

"What are you smiling about?" Payson joined him near the beam with a clipboard in hand, ready to start the Monday morning rotations.

Sasha turned to his wife and sighed in satisfaction at the sight of her. "So many things…and my life in general."

Payson's face lit up at this delightfully sweet, unexpected answer. "Good." Her cheeks turned pink, but she tried her best to brush it aside and get down to business.

"Has Kaylie come in yet?" Payson asked.

Sasha shook her head.

"Great…"

"She'll get here." He assured her.

Payson looked towards the entrance again as if expecting her old teammate to magically appear. "I can tell that Jessica doesn't feel good about this interview and having Kaylie here would be a big help."

"I sure hope so…" Sasha said raising his eyebrows.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Payson asked.

"You know how people who are very similar tend to butt heads?" Sasha glanced over at Jessica as she dismounted. "Well…I'm not sure if you noticed, but Jessica and Kaylie are very similar."

Payson stopped and thought for a moment. She'd never compared the two before, but it didn't surprise her that Sasha had. As a coach to both, the observation must have been instinctive. Once she drew the connections herself, she realized that Sasha was exactly right. Both had similar girlish reputations, were quite defensive, and had unexpectedly risen to the top of the sport. How had she not seen the parallels before?

"Oh jeeze…" Payson sighed. "They're either going to love each other or –"

"completely hate each other." Sasha finished the thought with worry.

The hours ticked by slowly as they usually did on Mondays at the Rock. Soon it was mid-afternoon and a stylish, prim female reporter strode in through the front door with a large smile on her face.

"Ah man…" Jessica said under her breath, reluctantly stopping in the middle of her floor routine. The woman was heading straight towards her, walking with purpose and enthusiasm. Jessica didn't like it.

After finally reaching her destination, the reporter extended her hand. "Hello! I'm Sarah Horne from TSM! You must be Jessica…"

"Guilty." The teenager sighed, crossing her arms instead of shaking the reporter's hand.

Payson Keeler walked quickly over and joined the gymnast and reporter. If Kaylie wasn't going to be there to save they day, she would have to substitute. "Hi, how are you?" Payson asked kindly to Sarah Horne. "I'm one of Jessica's coaches."

"Of course you are! I know the famous Payson Keeler when I see her." Ms. Horne said. "Do you mind if I borrow a few minutes alone with Jessica? I promise it won't take that long…."

"Uh…"

"I did make an appointment." The reporter pointed out.

Jessica gave Payson a desperate look. Clearly, this girl didn't feel comfortable and Payson was running out of options. Just as she was about to open her mouth and make up some lame excuse, the double doors to the Rock opened loudly and sent a wave of relief over her.

"_Oh thank God…_" Payson muttered under her breath.

There was Kaylie Cruz - like a godsend - walking in to the Rocky Mountain Gymnasium with an attitude that demanded both stares and respect. It reminded Payson of a movie entrance. The sunlight poured in momentarily before the doors shut behind her silhouetted frame. Kaylie pushed her large, stylish sunglasses on top of her head and adjusted her eyes to the indoor lighting. This was going to be an interesting first day of work.

"Kaylie!" Payson walked quickly over to meet her friend. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you..."

"Don't thank me yet, Pay. I might completely suck at this. I'm not making any promises."

Kaylie drank in the scene before her. There was an agitated, nervous-looking teenager who she recognized as Jessica Rudolph. Next to her was a reporter practically drooling at the prospect of an interview.

Taking a deep breath, Kaylie stepped forward and extended her hand. "Hello. I'm Kaylie Cruz, Jessica's agent."

"WHAT?" Jessica's mouth was gaping open.

Payson placed her hand on her athlete's shoulder. "Jess, don't –"

"She's an ex-gymnast, not an agent!" Jessica insisted.

_What a delightful girl_, Kaylie thought sarcastically in her head. _No wonder she's such a charmer on camera._

"Do my parents know about this?" Jessica demanded, motioning toward Kaylie. "They told me they wanted to approve my representation."

"And they have." Payson said, her voice becoming stern. "I spoke with them this morning."

Sarah Horne was observing the tension between the three women curiously. Kaylie might not have had the most extensive PR resume, but she did have enough common sense to know that arguing in front of a reporter wasn't a good idea. Kaylie laughed nervously and grabbed Jessica's arm. The girl tried to shake her off, but was unsuccessful.

"Jessica and I are going to chat for just one minute and then she's all yours." Kaylie said graciously, lightly yanking the young girl to the edge of the gym.

"Ouch!" Jessica hissed when they were out of ear shot. "What gives? _I just met you!"_

"Well, you're going to get to know me very well." assured Kaylie.

"Great! I could use another controlling adult in my life." Jessica's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You know, I already have a coach for gymnastics and last time I checked, I didn't need one for pageant waving and answering simple questions."

Kaylie smirked. "First of all, I've seen some of your television interviews and trust me when I say…_you need me_."

The World Champion's cheeks turned pink.

"You also need me to take some of the responsibility off of Payson and Sasha." Kaylie continued. "They can't schedule your media events and handle your sponsorships. That's not their job. It's my job now."

"Fine." Jessica said with gritted teeth. "Can I get this interview over with, then?"

Kaylie stopped her from walking away. "No...not until I set you straight."

Jessica raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Look, I know you have better things to do besides talking to tween magazines. Just remember that the stupid girls that read that magazine could benefit from seeing a real role model so don't act like a brat, OK? First rule to know: don't be mean to a reporter unless they absolutely deserve it. That means respectful language, no eye rolls, and no checking your watch. Also, don't feel like you have to answer every question. You don't. Stay comfortable but accessible. If you're in trouble or she's monopolizing you, I'll step in. Got it?"

"Uh…sure." Jessica said. _Maybe this woman did know what she was doing._

Under Kaylie's watchful eye, the interview passed without any drama. Jessica followed her advice. She even cooperated during a lengthy photo shoot for the spread. The athlete finally got breathing room again after Sasha Belov effectively scared away the reporter and photographer from the floor. There was only so much glitz that man could take, and Jessica was grateful for it.

"See?" Kaylie approached her client after the magazine left. "That wasn't so hard."

Instead of thanking Kaylie or swallowing her pride, Jessica Rudolph simply shrugged and eyed the woman suspiciously before returning to training. Kaylie watched her leave and tried not to be fazed by her attitude.

Sasha Belov decided to reassure his former gymnast. He walked over a stood close enough to whisper, "She'll come around. Jessica doesn't warm to people easily."

"I don't need her to like me." Kaylie said. "I just need her to listen to me."

Sasha sighed. "I think you'll find that it doesn't work that way, Kaylie."

"Well I'm new to this." She defended herself.

"But apparently your reputation precedes you."

_"Oh really?"_

Sasha nodded. "You should have seen the look on Austin Tucker's face when I told him that we wanted you to represent Jessica."

Kaylie snorted. "I bet he thought it was a riot."

"Not exactly." Said Sasha. "In fact, he thought it was brilliant. I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped by while he's still in town and asked you to do the same thing with one of his athletes from Denver."

"Denver?" Kaylie asked curiously. "I thought he coached in Boston."

"He took a position in Denver a few months ago to be closer to Ally."

"Oh…" Kaylie was surprised by the unexpected display of responsibility from Austin Tucker.

"Anyway," Sasha continued. "He might ask for –"

"And if he does I'll refuse." Kaylie interrupted. "I want to focus on getting Jessica on track quickly then returning to my fiancé."

"Don't feel like you can't take on other clients, Kaylie." Her old coach advised. "You never know…another athlete might catch your interest."

Kaylie shook her head stubbornly. "I need to get back to my handsome, intelligent fiancé in London and no one is going to make me forget that. I'll stick around and help you and Payson…but Austin Tucker? _Really Sasha? _I don't need to put my personal life on hold to help an irresponsible man-boy with the worst Peter Pan complex I've never seen. I'm sorry…I know that you and Payson on are good terms with him now, but I'm just not going to mix professionally with him. I mean, he can't commit – as evidenced by Payson's situation – and he can't even admit to his mistakes. It doesn't help that he's quite possibly the most egotistical person I've ever encountered – and trust me, I've met a lot of people." She chuckled at Sasha's ignorance. "Now, why would I waste my time working with a man like that?"

Sasha's mouth was open. Kaylie thought for a moment that this shocked expression and wide eyes were signs that she'd effectively made her point, but then she noticed that Sasha wasn't even looking at her. In fact, his line of sight was directed at the space right behind her head. Kaylie's stomach dropped.

"Jesus, he's right behind me isn't he?" she asked under her breath.

"_Aw, Kaylie_." a familiar male voice rang out playfully. "You have to cut out all this flattery. It's making me blush."

* * *

**a/n** - Sorry for the slower updates lately! Hopefully that will change...Thanks so much for the reviews! Next chapter = more Austin and more Sasha/Payson. Scouts honor.

NCIS7BEXX - OH just you wait. I've got some major plans concerning Emily and her baby. Just you wait...=) That's a few chapters away.

Seeker and Dreamer - well done=)


	4. Acting like Adults

**Chapter 4**

_"What are you doing here?"_

Of course Austin Tucker would be standing behind her. After all, the universe was a cruel, ironic place.

Frankly, Kaylie Cruz was too confused by the situation to be embarrassed. Sure, Austin had just listened to her verbally bash his character in a long-winded monologue, but she had bigger things to worry about than his self-esteem. _Clearly_, he didn't need any help with that anyway. He was Austin Tucker.

He pulled off his sunglasses and smiled smugly at her. "I'm glad you asked, Kaylie. I just happen to be shopping for an agent!" Austin said, motioning toward her dramatically. "And look here - I've found one."

Kaylie shot a desperate look at Sasha Belov, but he didn't seem fazed or bothered by Austin's presence. You'd think that would be odd considering that this just happened to be the man that impregnated his wife when she was eighteen years old. Now would've been an excellent time for Sasha to act like…Sasha. _Shouldn't there be a common enemy here?_

"This has to be a joke." she said half laughing to herself.

"What?" Austin asked defensively.

Kaylie stopped laughing. He was serious. "Wait – you're not kidding?" she asked. "Doesn't anyone realize how completely unqualified I am for this position?"

Austin Tucker didn't look fazed by this particular detail. Instead he shoved his hands and in pockets and stared at her. Kaylie felt like she was going downhill on a broken sled; the chaos of her life just kept accelerating out of control. Her original weekend visit to Boulder, Colorado was mutating into something unrecognizable.

"Oh come on…" Austin finally said, shaking his head in amusement. "I'm not buying your act. Admit it, Kaylie. You've been dying to get back to the Rock. You're pretending like you hate gymnastics now, but guess what? No one believes you!"

Kaylie placed her hands on her hips, fuming. Never in her life had she met a more pretentious man.

"OK…" Sasha said, stepping between them in an attempt to run interference. "Let's just get back to the subject, shall we? Kaylie, are you absolutely opposed to the idea of taking on another gymnast?"

"Yes!" she said stubbornly.

Austin smirked. "Don't be so quick to judge before you see the package."

She rolled her eyes dramatically at his double entendre. "Austin, I have a life and I'm not just going to press the pause button on it because you two –" she motioned between Sasha and Austin. "are peer pressuring me into an unexpected career path. I'm here for a few weeks to help Jessica then I am back in London. Period."

"Oh that's right." Austin said. "I heard about your dream man. He sounds promising. Does he come with a dental plan and an insurance policy too?"

Kaylie scowled. "He's a finishing his PHD in Medieval Literature, for your information."

"_Wow…_" Austin said.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." He said, with a slightly upturned mouth. "I used to feel insecure, but it turns out there are more girly professions for men than professional gymnastics. _How about that…_"

Kaylie wanted to jump on him – physically hurt the man before her. Technically, this was impossible because she hadn't grown much since her teen years, but her brain was ignoring logic. Sasha Belov caught Kaylie's eye and shot her a look that clearly said, "Cool it."

"So…back to the subject at hand." Sasha attempted once more to reel in the conversation. "We should all discuss this together as _adults_." He emphasized the last word slowly.

"Fine." Kayie said. "I can do that."

"Yeah me too." Austin added, though Kaylie doubted it.

"Good." Sasha said. "Austin, what is your proposition?"

"Well," the younger coach said. "I need to promote one of my gymnasts – you know, while the iron is still hot."

"Who?" demanded Kaylie.

Austin smiled widely. "Nathan Miles."

Kaylie's mouth dropped. "That's an insane idea. That boy has no chance at medaling in the Olympics."

"Wow, Kaylie." Austin said sarcastically. "For someone who hates gymnastics so much, you sure follow it very closely."

She blushed, but let his comment roll off her back. She stood by her opinion on his athlete. Nathan Miles was the gymnastics equivalent to a snowstorm in hell. By some odd combination of sheer luck and unlikely external factors, he'd snagged the bronze medal at the Worlds Competition by the one of the smallest margins in decades. Two of his U.S. Teammates had sat out due to injury flare-ups - both thought to be more talented than him. It also helped Nathan that major mistakes sprung up throughout the World competition. Anyone watching it would've thought that a curse had been placed on all the male gymnasts. Somehow, by keeping his head down and performing well, the twenty-year-old from Boston jumped up to a surprising ranking. He'd practically tripped into his recognition and Kaylie was almost positive that he would soon trip right out again.

"Don't waste my time, Austin." She said, folding her arms defiantly.

"I didn't know I was." He countered. "Look, Nathan is a great athlete. Ask Payson – she thinks so. She said Nathan had the most potential out of anyone at Boston Elite."

"I don't know what surprises me more…" said Kaylie. "the fact that Nathan won bronze at Worlds or that he would follow you to Denver to keep training with you."

Austin shrugged, trying to look modest. "What can I say? I'm a lovable person."

"Are you two done acting like eight-year-olds?"

Sasha's voice rang out sharply between the feuding couple. Suddenly, Kaylie and Austin remembered that their old coach was there, standing silently and watching them peck at each other like chickens. Kaylie suddenly felt like she was sixteen again and under his authority. She blushed at her childish behavior and shut her mouth. When the desired silence was finally among them again, Sasha sighed with relief and continued.

"I'm going to suggest a compromise." He said, eying them both sternly. "Kaylie, you will see Nathan later this week and at least talk to the boy before dismissing his cause. I believe Jessica has an early morning interview on Friday. Austin, can you and Nathan drive to Boulder that day to meet them after it's over?"

"Sure." Austin said reasonably.

"Excellent." Sasha said. "So it's finally settled. See? That wasn't so hard."

Kaylie pursed her lips together momentarily, but finally extended her hand towards Austin to shake on it. "Fine. We'll talk on Friday."

Austin grabbed her hand and shook it. He held it for a few seconds more than expected – just long enough to give Kaylie an extra squeeze.

* * *

Sasha returned home that night and retold the whole confrontation to Payson.

"This might end up being more complicated than we foresaw." He said, navigating his way around the kitchen. Payson was chopping tomatoes. He kissed her on the cheek as he passed and picked up a piece to munch on. "I think Kaylie is really set on leaving Boulder. I know you think Nathan has potential, but I don't think he'll be enough to convince Kaylie to stay longer. Plus, she and Jessica haven't exactly started on the right foot. What do you think?"

Payson didn't respond. Her dreamy eyes were staring down at the tomato with a disproportionate amount of focus.

"Uh…Payson?" he asked again.

She shook her head suddenly and snapped out of her reverie. "Oh sorry, Sasha. What were you saying?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Distracted today?" he asked.

Payson laughed nervously. "I guess you could say that."

"What's on your mind?"

She waved if off. "It's silly, really."

"Tell me." Sasha said curiously.

"Well…" Payson said, dumping the tomatoes in a pot and turning to her husband. "Something's been on my mind." Payson bit her lip and look up at Sasha with her big blue eyes. It got him every time. "Sooner or later the two of us are going to have to confront the _timing thing_."

"The_ timing thing_?" repeated Sasha with confusion.

"You know…we came home after the elopement and just went about our normal lives, but it's unrealistic for us to both be working full time at the Rock long term. For now, it's working fine but we need to talk seriously about our options."

Sasha felt very stupid all of a sudden. This conversation was reminding him that, though he was older than his wife, she seemed to know far more than he did when it came to these things. At this point he was swimming in ignorance.

"I'm not sure I understand what you're implying, Payson. Are you saying you want to stay at home?" he asked, wondering if he had interpreted the female code correctly.

The thought of Payson leaving the Rock made him feel ill. She was an excellent assistant coach and he didn't like the idea of working with someone else - romance aside. Then again, he also loved the idea of her being happy and staying home with Ally if that's what he wanted. His duel roles of husband and professional partner were mixing together and complicating his thought process. He felt very confused and was sure Payson was probably suffering from the same internal tug-of-war.

His wife sighed and leaned against the counter. "Frankly, I have no idea what I want to do. I love coaching, don't get me wrong. I want to be at the Rock with you, but I also loved the way my mom was there for me growing up– especially during my younger years. How can I deny that of Ally? Every time I drop Ally off at daycare I feel this pull at my heartstrings. Am I crazy?"

"No!" Sasha assured her. "No, that's not crazy at all. We should definitely talk about this more. I mean, we have lots of options. Maybe you could just stay on as National Assistant coach for now, or become part time during the week. Whatever you want. Remember, your husband runs that place so you can get away with murder." He winked.

Payson laughed and wrapped her arm around him and squeezed. She loved that Sahsha was so understanding. "I don't want to make any abrupt changes yet. It's just been on my mind lately. That's all."

"I'm glad you brought it up." Sasha said seriously, rubbing her back. "I'm sure that the right answer will become clearer to us as time passes, but you're right to think of the kids first."

Sasha realized his slip of the tongue about a millisecond after the word spilled from his mouth. He stopped rubbing her back and he felt Payson's body shift under his arm.

"Uh…_kids_?" Payson asked, her mouth twitching slightly at the implications of the plural noun.

Sasha cleared his throat and looked at his wrist watch quickly. "Oh! Look at the time! It's almost six. I should pick up Ally from dance class." As if being timed in a race, Sasha grabbed his jacket and keys and headed for the door after pecking his wife on the cheek.

Payson was left in the kitchen – a funny, shocked expression gracing her pretty face.

* * *

Jessica Rudolph wasn't stupid. She knew very well who Kaylie Cruz was. In fact, both of their names shared space on the large "Gymnast of the Year" engraved plaque that hung in the Rock lobby. Kaylie Cruz's name stuck out in 2009, sandwiched between a long list of "Payson Keeler's" before and after it. Jessica had often passed it and wondered what the story behind Kaylie's short-lived success was. Perhaps now that she was her agent Jessica would find out.

Talking with Kaylie, however, proved to be difficult. As their first week together passed it soon became painfully obvious that they weren't going to get along. Kaylie made it plain through her speech and body language that she didn't want her job and Jessica resented her for it. She, in turn, projected a somewhat bratty attitude towards her agent which only made Kaylie want to publicize her agitation _that much more_. It was a vicious cycle of cynicism that couldn't be stopped.

Suddenly it was Friday, and everyone was exhausted. It took everything that Jessica had to wake up even earlier than usual so she could get to the Rock for extra training before her morning interview. Apparently, a _Today Show_ camera crew would be arriving at 6 a.m. to set up a live feed from New York.

"Are you ready?" Kaylie asked her when she entered the gym.

"Uh…you bet." The statement came out more like a question than a declaration of confidence. "I'll just be myself." Jessica said, breaking in deeply trying to keep calm. She looked at Kaylie for reassurance, but it was not there. In fact, her agent had the funniest look on her face. "What?" she asked her.

"Well…" Kaylie began tactfully. "being yourself might not be the _best _strategy…"

'What?" Jessica asked incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"All I'm saying is that, from what I've seen from your T.V. interviews, you are far too honest. In fact, you come off as somewhat elitist and….and…"

"_Bitchy?"_

Both Jessica and Kaylie turned their heads and looked at the source of this last adjective. It was Nina Hart, who as Jessica's good friend, was probably one of the few people who could get away with using that word so bluntly.

Jessica groaned. "I can't help it! I'm not trying to be aloof and awkward. It just…looks that way."

"Just try smiling more…maybe cracking a joke?" Kaylie suggested. Jessica rolled her eyes.

Kaylie went over to Sasha and Payson's office to check on some scheduling details. The two gymnasts, the only athletes presently at the Rock, stayed on the main floor waiting for the cameras to show up.

"What are you doing here?" Jessica asked Nina, finally registering that her friend had woken up uncharacteristically early.

"Moral support, of course!" she answered.

Jessica glanced over through the windows of Sasha's office and spotted Kaylie Cruz speaking with her coaches animatedly. "Great." She said. "I could use some. It's not like I'm getting it from anyone else…"

"Hey Jess," Nina tugged on her teammate's arm. "Is that who I think it is?"

Jessica turned her head toward Nina's pointed finger. Two males that she knew of but didn't know personally had just walked into the Rock. One did so with cocky assurance while the younger one followed with his head down.

"Is that…is that…?" Nina asked, squinting.

"Yes." Jessica answered, crossing her arms in distaste. "That's Austin Tucker and Nathan Miles."

It certainly was. Austin had arrived early – something he didn't normally do. If Jessica didn't already know who Nathan Miles was, she never would have guessed that he was a male gymnast. For one thing, he was taller and less bulky than the average build required for the sport. Secondly, he lacked the distinctive air that usually emitted from successful athletes. To see the difference one only had to gaze and him and his coach side by side – a task that Jessica and Nina were both doing now. Next to Austin Tucker, his gymnast looked like an awkward teenager boy. While Coach Tucker moved through space with dominance and command, his protégé made every step look like a question mark. Behind his longish brown hair and glasses he looked positively ordinary.

"Wow…I've never met Austin Tucker…or Nathan Miles for that matter." Nina said excitedly.

"Don't get too excited. " Jessica said. "Nathan Miles isn't anyone, trust me."

Nina shrugged and headed to the other side of the gym to begin her workout. Jessica stayed planted in place, wondering silently what this visit from the Denver boys was all about.

"Kaylie," she said the second she caught her agent's attention. The cameramen from the Today Show had just arrived and were setting up everything and testing the lighting of the Rock. "What are Austin Tucker and Nathan Miles doing here?"

"Nothing." Kaylie said, shooting a displeased look at Austin Tucker. "They are freakishly early for a meeting with me. That's it. Don't worry about it."

Jessica smiled and sighed with relief. "Thank God! At first I thought that you were going to make me do an interview with him…"

Kaylie chuckled. "Of course not!"

"Ms. Cruz? Can I speak to you please?" a production assistant tapped her on the shoulder for a word. Kaylie left Jessica with the make-up artist and followed him to a private area.

"Yes?" she asked curiously. "Is everything ready for the segment?"

"Uh, yeah." The man said, adjusting his earpiece. "I just had one thing to run by you…"

"What?"

"I just got off the phone with New York. I told them Nathan Miles was here and…they want him to jump in on the live feed."

_"What?"_ Kaylie asked, her dark eyes widening. "This was just supposed to be Jessica. That's what she's expecting."

He raised his hand in defeat. "It's out of my hands now. It's what the show wants. I already spoke to his coach about it and he agreed. Nathan is ready to go on camera."

"Of course Austin Tucker is OK with this!" Kaylie said desperately. "He wants his athlete to be publicized. Sir, this isn't what we agreed."

After a few minutes of arguing, Kaylie finally gave in. Clearly, there was nothing she could do to change the network's mind. All she could do was walk over to Jessica and break the news to her. She wasn't looking forward to it.

"What was that about?" Jessica asked Kaylie as someone touched up her make-up. They had just set her up in a chair in front of the beam at the Rock. "Do you know why they set up an extra chair next to me? Is Sasha or Payson joining the interview?"

"Uh…not exactly." Said Kaylie with hesitation. "Actually, the network wants Nathan Miles to join you."

_"What?"_

"I know, I know…it's unexpected but we can roll with it! Just stick to the plan and you'll be perfectly fine, Jessica. Trust me."

"Trust you?" Jessica hissed in a low voice, trying not to make too much noise. "How can I _trust you?_ You don't want to be here! You don't want to be _my agent._ I've never even met Nathan Miles. The only thing I know about him is that he's the luckiest person on the planet for getting that stupid bronze medal."

"I wouldn't mention that last part on camera …" Kaylie suggested wisely, trying her best appease her client. Frankly, she didn't blame Jessica much. She would've felt the same way in her situation.

"Two minutes until we're live!" the cameraman shouted. Jessica's face was now sporting a somewhat panicked look. Kaylie couldn't do anything else at this point but pray that everything would somehow turn out OK.

Nathan Miles took a seat in the empty chair to Jessica's right. They were both right in front of the camera, instructed to speak directly to the lens. If all the technically details worked, then they would be able to hear the hosts in New York as them questions. Jessica eyed this fellow gymnast skeptically. In just a minute or two she would be conducting her first live interview with a complete stranger.

As the cameraman counted down the seconds, Kaylie Cruz strode over to Austin Tucker and planted her feet next to him. "You planned this, didn't you? You came early on purpose because you knew the network would be tempted to interview them both, am I right?"

Austin shrugged innocently. "Really Kaylie, I have no idea what you're talking about. You're acting very paranoid right now…"

"Just let me do my job, will you?"

"But it appears that you don't like this job very much, Kaylie." Austin said, turning to her. "Now, I'm not sure if it's true, but you certainly make it _look_ that way. Maybe you should think about how that must make Jessica feel – ever consider that?"

Kaylie gaped at him.

"And who knows," Austin continued, folding his arms together and directing his attention to the two seated youth on the other side of the camera. "These two might compliment each other on camera."

Before Kaylie could protest further, the cameraman reached the end of his countdown. Silence reigned throughout the Rock.

The interview had started.

* * *

**a/n** - Please review and let me know what you think! This story is proving to be more challenging since I'm juggling more characters and several story lines at once...

Next chapter - the interview, more Nathan, some decisions, Payson/Sasha, and a flashback! yay!


	5. Facing Demons

**Chapter 5**

Later that day Kaylie, Austin, Nathan, and Jessica were sitting on the couch in Sasha's office watching the video clip that aired that morning on the Today Show. Never had such a large amount of negativity and agitation been crammed into such a small space.

For example, Kaylie mysteriously disliked Austin Tucker while Austin disliked her right back for…well, mysteriously disliking _him_. Jessica was mad at Kaylie for forcing her to do a joint interview with Nathan Miles and also resented Nathan Miles for stealing her thunder. Consequently, Austin wasn't a fan of Jessica's chipper attitude, which was interesting considering that Jessica blamed _him_ for starting this mess in the first place. All in all, everyone was mad at someone in the room.

Well, except for Nathan Miles.

Ironically, the only person Nathan could muster up any ill will for was the Today Show make-up artist who, due to spending so much time on Jessica that morning, had neglected to do anything about his shinny nose before the interview. Normally he wouldn't care about such things, but this was his first time on national television. Didn't he have to right to care?

"Your nose is shinny." Jessica had unceremoniously pointed out to him when they sat down to watch their interview clip.

"Oh gee, thanks." was his clever response. He raised his eyebrow at the girl next to him on the couch. After just a few hours of knowing her, Nathan easily picked up on the fact that Jessica Rudolph was incapable of censoring her own thoughts.

Kaylie sighed and pressed play. The footage rolled and everyone leaned forward to watch the segment.

_"Alright, folks. Now we're going to head to Boulder, Colorado today to say hello to our country's very own star gymnasts!" the morning news host from New York said. "We've got some cameras right there in their gym. Let's see if we can catch them before they start practicing for the day, uh?"_

Suddenly, a split screen appeared on the show. On the left side was an image of the morning host in New York and on the right were Nathan and Jessica. Nathan was sitting back casually in his seat, smiling and looking comfortable. Jessica was smiling stiffly, her shoulders slightly tense.

_"Good morning, Nathan and Jessica!"_

_"Good morning!" they said together cheerfully._

_"How long have you both been up?"_

_"A while." Jessica said simply. The announcer paused, waiting to see if she was going to elaborate. When she didn't he awkwardly pressed on._

_"Ok!" the announcer continued. "Right, so Jessica were you pleased with your performance at Worlds?"_

_Jessica looked slightly confused by the question. "Well, yeah. I mean…I won a gold medal."_

Jessica, who was watching herself on the television in Sasha's office, half hid her face in her hands, but continued to watch the interview through separated fingers.

_The announcer laughed nervously. "Well…that's great. Our country is very proud of you two! Jessica, did you watch the men compete?"_

_"I did." she said._

_"Wasn't Nathan great?"_

_"Surprisingly yes." she answered._

_There was an awkward moment of live television that passed in completely silence. The morning host had no idea what to do._

_Luckily Nathan deflected the awkwardness by lightly punching Jessica on the arm. He laughed lightheartedly like they'd been friends for years. "Ah – good one, Jessica! Isn't she hilarious?" he asked the announcer. "She's such a riot. You'll get used to her."_

"Nice save." Austin whispered to Nathan out of the corner of his mouth as they watched the footage.

_The announcer looked more comfortable now. "Wow…a gold medal and a sense of humor! What a girl! So Nathan, what did you think of Jessica's performance?"_

_"I'm a big fan." He said kindly. "She's obviously very talented and she just did her thing out there. Everyone from the men's team is very proud of her."_

_"And I heard that two of your teammates were injured right before Worlds, is that right?"_

_"Yes," Nathan nodded. "But they should be back soon. I'm glad! We'll need them. They're such an important part of our team."_

_"Some people have speculated that their injuries were the only reason you got on the podium. What do you have say about that?"_

_Nathan paused, but then tactfully answered. "Well, I'm not sure. All I can say is that I did do my best. I guess this time my best meant bronze."_

_The announcer chuckled. "Fair enough. So, before we sign out, I have just one last burning question for Jessica."_

_"Shoot." Jessica said with a smile._

_"You two look so good together….are you and Nathan an item?"_

_Jessica Rudolph, most likely forgetting that millions of people were watching her in real time, burst out in hysterics. Nathan raised his eyebrows._

_"Uh…is that a no?" the host asked with confusion._

_Nathan looked at the camera lens and cracked the first joke that came to mind. "Actually, I think that means I'm out of her league…"_

Kaylie turned the television off and sighed. She stood up and faced the three people still sitting on the couch. Austin was trying not to smile. Nathan's face was blank. Jessica's was buried in her hands. She either had a headache or she was ashamed – it might have been both.

"Well…" Nathan said slowly. "That went OK."

Unfortunately this optimism wasn't shared by Jessica.

"I totally bombed it!" Jessica cried, finally speaking. She took her hands away from her face. "I'm such a spaz!"

"No, Jess." Kaylie said, trying to comfort her. "It really wasn't that bad. In fact, it came off as sort of endearing."

"Yeah.." Austin added. "_Thanks to Nathan_."

Jessica whimpered into her hands. Nathan, not knowing what else to do, awkwardly patted her on the back twice then returned his hand to his lap.

"I knew something like this would happen! Is that why you guys brought him here?" she said Nathan's name like it was the plague. "because you didn't think I could do it by myself? That I'm not ready for this?"

"No!" Kaylie and Austin both said quickly, shaking their heads

"You were…._fine_." Nathan added lamely.

Jessica shot him a warning glare. Kaylie suspected that Nathan was the last person Jessica wanted to hear from. Then again, no one could deny that it was Nathan Miles' laid back, unassuming demeanor that had saved the day. Kaylie surveyed him with curiosity – she couldn't help it. He didn't look like the average male gymnast and, most importantly, he didn't act like one either. Maybe it was because he hadn't peaked yet, but Nathan Miles still had his head screwed on tightly and his ego in check. It was positively amazing.

"So…" Nathan said, sitting on the couch trying to ignore Jessica's displeased stare. "Does this mean you'll be my agent?"

Before Kaylie could open her mouth to answer, Jessica was on her feet and running out the door toward the Rock exit. She'd obviously been pushed to her emotional max that day. She made a move to chase after her, but Austin grabbed her arm.

"Kaylie," he said seriously. "leave it alone for now."

Kaylie nodded silently and watched her run out the doors. For the first time all week she agreed with Austin Tucker. Jessica Rudolph needed space.

* * *

It became apparent that Friday that Kaylie Cruz wouldn't be leaving Boulder anytime soon. Despite her initial goals to exit early and unnoticed, it seemed that the people around her had other plans and that Jessica Rudolph, whether Kaylie liked it or not, needed her. She just didn't know it yet.

Kaylie sighed. It was later in the evening and she was standing in front of a large, traditional two-story home in Boulder. The lawn was pristine, the siding was blindingly white, and the mailbox read "Rudolphs." After explaining to Sasha why his best gymnast had run out of the Rock hours early on a Friday (that wasn't an easy task, by the way), Kaylie convinced him to hand over Jessica's address. This visit was something she had to do…something she really should've done a week ago.

Jessica answered the door after Kaylie rang the bell. For a second, Kaylie thought she might slam the door in her face, but luckily she hesitated long enough for Kaylie to block it with her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Jessica asked, more surprised than angry.

"I want to talk."

Jessica paused, but eventually gestured for her to come in.

The inside of the house was just as neat and orderly as the outside. Pictures of Jessica in leotards and tutus lined the walls of the first floor. There wasn't a speck of dust or a fingerprint on any of the counter tops. Kaylie didn't see any traces of the "lived in" character you often saw at places like the Keeler home. In a way, Jessica's house had been a lot like Kaylie's – perfect, but unnaturally so.

"What do you want to talk about?" Jessica asked, sitting down primly on a nearby armchair.

Kaylie took a seat nearby. "Us."

"Us?" Jessica asked with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't know there was an "us." I thought you were jumping across the ocean the first chance you got."

Kaylie sighed, feeling guilty. "I admit, that was my original plan."

"Yeah, and you were very open about it." Jessica pointed out.

"I want to apologize, Jessica."

The gymnast's eyes widened. After spending a week with the harsher, more stubborn side of Kaylie Cruz, hearing this was a surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes." Kaylie said with a strong voice. "I haven't been there for you this week. I'm sorry for that. It's just…" Kaylie Cruz paused and swallowed her pride. "I think there's this part of me that's terrified of you…and of this job."

Jessica Rudolph raised her eyebrows and looked down at herself. At 5'1'' and 110 lbs she wasn't much to be afraid of.

Kaylie laughed at Jessica's reaction. "No, it's nothing like that. It's about me confronting my demons. Honestly, I've come to associate a lot of disappointment and pain with this sport and coming back…well, it's been hard. "

Jessica leaned forward in her seat curiously. It was like she was seeing Kaylie Cruz for the first time.

"I was a lot like you. In fact, I'm sure that's why Payson and Sasha hired me. No one expected much from me at the beginning of my career either. I had respect, but not the respect I wanted or thought I deserved. When I won Nationals, the story was all about how Payson should have won. I was constantly compared to her…

Jessica nodded. "The same way I'm compared to Keera…"

"Exactly." Kaylie said. "And you know what? I made the mistake of believing them. I thought that I hadn't really won yet; it was as if Nationals had never happened and I had to constantly prove my worth to everyone around me. During my career I spent way too much time and energy caring about what other people thought of me. I became a people pleaser and that…that can sometimes be life threatening, Jessica. It was like closing my hand over a fistful of sand; the more I hung on, the more I lost it."

Jessica blinked slowly, trying to soak in everything. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you deserve to know and you deserve to learn from my mistakes."

Never in her life had Kaylie Cruz so willingly and eloquently shared her emotions on this subject with anyone. Somewhere along the line – and especially during her parents' divorce – she'd taught herself to internalize things. It was a survival tactic she'd relied on during her years battling anorexia. She'd clung to it until this moment. The only reason she was letting go now was to, if she could, prevent history from repeating in Jessica.

Kaylie continued sincerely. "I promise, as long as I'm representing you, I will be honest and open. I'm going to think of you as a person first, a future Olympian second, and a celebrity last."

Jessica smiled at that last statement. It was a relief to hear. "Thanks." She answered.

"But you're going to have to promise me something things, too."

"What?" Jessica asked.

"You're the World Champion. Don't let anyone make you forget that. I don't care if have to say it out loud in the mirror every morning; never second-guess what you've earned on your own merit. To reach your potential in the gym and in the public eye, you have to let go of that insecurity. Can you do that?"

The gymnast nodded, a refreshing smile spreading across her face.

"Good." Kaylie beamed and stood up. "Well, I'm not going to take up any more of your evening. I just wanted to stop by and…clear the air."

"I'm glad you did." Jessica said quickly, blushing. "I'm sorry too for not making you feel welcome."

"Well, we can start fresh next week." Kaylie said. She turned toward the door, but then turned back abruptly. "Oh! I almost forgot. I have some _news_."

"News? Good or bad?"

"Possibly both." Kaylie admitted, still unsure how the girl would react.

Jessica sighed. "Let me guess…you agreed to be Nathan Miles' agent, didn't you?"

Kaylie winced. "_Guilty_."

To her surprise, Jessica didn't seem bothered. "I thought you might. It's fine. I mean…he's not a _total_ lost cause."

"I'm glad you think so…" Kaylie said as she suppressed a secretive smile. "If you two didn't get along it would certainly make the Gap commercial you have to shoot much more difficult…"

Jessica's mouth dropped to the floor. For a second she was completely silent, then she exploded into a fit of excitement.

"That's your good news? NO WAY!" Jessica, all jealousy and ill-will toward Nathan Miles forgotten, was now dancing around her foyer at the prospect of shooting a commercial with him. "This is amazing. How did this happen?"

Kaylie beamed at her success. "They called me a few hours ago. Apparently they thought you two were funny on the Today Show and they want you to shoot a spot for their back-to-school line."

Before she realized what she was doing, Jessica Rudolph launched on Kaylie and hugged her tightly. Kaylie, though surprised, returned the gesture warmly.

It took a few minutes for Kaylie to calm her client down and sort out the details. She left a packet of paperwork for Jessica and her parents to look at, then finally exited the Rudolph residence with a very different mood than the one she entered with.

* * *

**a/n - ** Sorry for the lack of Austin, but I will make up for it later in spades =) I know some of you have commented on how bitter/immature you thought Kaylie was being in this story, but I hope that this chapter showed the purpose behind some of that. Anyway, the next chapter will be rather character illuminating as well (hopefully). Thanks for reading! I love your comments and feedback. It's very much appreciated.


	6. Ladies Who Lunch

**Chapter 6**

Kaylie Cruz had never felt more like a grown up. With Payson on her left and Emily on her right, she was enjoying a classy, adult Saturday lunch. Her mother used to do things like that - escape the woes of everyday life and sit at a square table with old girlfriends and a bottle of wine. Now, a participant in the culture, Kaylie was beginning to understand its appeal. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun.

"Please tell me you're joking!" Kaylie chuckled at Payson from across the table. She fumbled for her water glass and took a sip. Her throat had gone dry from all the laughing. Payson Keeler had just recounted her painfully awkward week to the group. Though Sasha Belov had accidentally proclaimed his desire to become a father, somehow the couple had managed to avoid talking about the touchy subject since the bomb was dropped days ago. "You and Sasha spend every waking moment together at the gym and at home…how is it even possible that you haven't confronted this?"

Payson blushed. "You have no idea how awkward it is at my house…"

Emily helped herself to some of the leftover food on Payson's plate. "You're insane." She commented wisely. "Besides, I don't see what the problem is. Don't you want to have more kids?"

"Of course I do!" Payson cried, pushing the plate over completely to her hungry, pregnant friend. "I love Sasha so much and I'd love to have another child."

"I'm confused…" Kaylie said, furrowing her brow. She saw no conflict.

"Well…" Payson sighed. "Sasha and I have done everything so impulsively. We started dating impulsively…we got married impulsively….I just don't want this step to be that way too. What if he changes his mind tomorrow?"

"He won't." Emily and Kaylie said together.

"This time last year I didn't even live in Boulder. Since then I've started a new career, uprooted my daughter, then dated and married my old coach. Oh, and the father of my child has suddenly reappeared in all of our lives. All this change has been great - don't get me wrong - but is it really a good idea to add to it?"

"You have a point…" Emily said, her mouth half full.

"How is Austin taking everything, by the way?" Kaylie asked Payson nonchalantly. She tried her best not to appear too curious. "I mean, was the elopement weird for him?"

Payson shrugged indifferently. "Why would it be?"

"I-I don't know." Kaylie said with a nervous smile. "I mean…you two had a baby together."

"Austin was excited, actually." Payson explained. "He was one of the first people we called after the marriage. It's weird, but he and Sasha have this interesting friendship now."

'Really?" Emily said, her eyebrows up.

"Yeah. They go fishing together every now and then." She smiled. "You know, we're just a typical American family."

"_Interesting…_" Kaylie said, crossing her arms and sitting back in her seat. Her eyes glazed over dreamily as she stared forward at nothing in particular.

Emily smirked. "Why so interested, Kaylie?"

Kaylie snapped back to life. "I'm not!" she answered defensively. "I was just asking."

The truth was, Kaylie Cruz had been thinking about Austin Tucker for the better part of the past twenty-four hours. Almost against her will, the man kept popping up in her thoughts like a bug that couldn't be squashed. Every since their surprise meeting yesterday, she couldn't seem to shake him off. It was truly frustrating…

_Kaylie stepped out into the crisp, night air after her talk with Jessica. She felt refreshed both physically and emotionally. With the tension in her body finally dissolved, she took a deep, satisfying breath and exhaled all of her stored up bitterness. Today she was feeling more like her former self. Slowly but surely that smiling girl from her parents' picture frame was coming alive again._

_There was just one thing left to do now that things with Jessica were straightened out. Kaylie whipped out her cell phone and dialed a number her fingers knew very well._

_It rang._

_…and rang some more._

_Kaylie groaned when the familiar voice mail message sounded in her ear: "This is Eric! Sorry I couldn't come to the phone right now, but please leave your name and number after the beep and I'll call you back as soon as I am able." After almost a week of phone tag with her fiancé, this recorded line was the closest she'd come to having a real conversation with the man._

_"Hey Eric! It's me. I just wanted to call and see if I could catch you before you headed to classes this morning. It's pretty late at night here so I thought….Well, anyway I hope everything is going well. I really need to talk to you, so just call me back when you get this. I have to stay in Boulder for a while longer…"_

_Out of the corner of her eye, Kaylie spotted a large SUV heading her way. Loud music was bumping from it and she could see several rowdy young men hanging out the windows and laughing. Sometimes she forgot that Boulder was a college town. To her it had always meant pure gymnastics._

_"Hey sweetie!" one of them shouted from the passenger side. The car slowed in speed to match her pace. "What's your major?" he slurred, leaning out the window. Kaylie Cruz rolled her eyes. Looking about five years younger than you actually were was sometimes inconvenient._

_"Just call me." Kaylie said softly into the phone before hanging up all together. She didn't want to continue her long-winded message in front of this new, immature audience. Kaylie started walking more quickly. She wasn't necessarily expecting trouble from the young men, but she was itching to get home._

_"Why the rush?" the young man asked._

_"Oh come on," another one called out. "Hop in the car and come to a party with us, princess."_

_Kaylie pressed on, avoiding eye contact at all costs. Apparently, these boys had nothing better to do because they kept following her down the street for a few minutes. Their behavior was quickly transitioning from annoying to creepy._

_"If you give me a kiss, we'll leave you alone!"_

_Yeah, like that would ever happen. Kaylie thought to herself._

_The boys all laughed heartily together and then one cried, "Don't be such a little bitc-"_

_"Excuse me?"_

_Kaylie Cruz whipped around and finally acknowledged their presence. There were a few things in life that she couldn't tolerate being called that name was one of them. Seeing the fiery confidence in her eyes, some of the boys' cocky expressions dissolved. Clearly, this was no doe-eyed college girl._

_Suddenly, the SUV jolted forward and all the people inside jumped in their seats. Something had hit them in their back bumper. The impact was just light enough not to cause terrible damage, but just hard enough to induce a rude awakening. Everyone, including Kaylie, turned their heads to the black Range Rover that had just joined their curbside meeting._

_Austin Tucker emerged from the driver's side door with an expressionless face. Kaylie's breath caught in her chest at the sight of him. This was unexpected._

_"Hey man!" one of the frat brothers cried to him. "What do you think you're doing?"_

_Austin strode over to the passenger side window, standing strategically between Kaylie and the males inside the vehicle. Though he was acting nonchalant and confident, his body language had a hint of protectiveness to it._

_"Oh…gee I'm so sorry." He said, furrowing his brow in mock concern. "What a shame too – this car is just lovely. Did your daddy buy it for you?"_

_Protests erupted from the SUV as the now offended college boys complained about damages and money all at once. Austin Tucker smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets without much worry or concern. He shot a look at Kaylie that clearly said 'What losers.'_

_"We should call the police!" one of them cried in anger. "They'll straighten this thing out and make you take care of that dent!"_

_Austin shrugged and got out his smart phone. "Great idea. What's the number?"_

_The boys blinked, hesitating at this unexpected compliance._

_"What?" Austin asked with a funny smile. "It was a good suggestion! After all, it's not like you boys were bothering this nice young woman here before I came…and I'm sure that scent I'm picking up from the inside of your car isn't cheap beer, right? I'm sure the cops won't have an opinion about either one of those subjects. Think, boys. Is $200 in paint damage worth it?"_

_They remained speechless._

_"That's what I thought." Austin said smugly. He turned to Kaylie and extended his hand. "Shall we?"_

_Kaylie's mouth was half open. She was processing._

_"Kaylie?" Austin asked again with amusement. "Can I get you out of here?"_

_"Uh..yes. Yes please."_

_Still stunned by the unexpected display of chivalry, she followed him to his car. He opened the door for her dutifully and she hopped in._

_"Fralien Cruz, have you lost your voice?" he asked as he situated himself in the driver's seat._

_"No…" she said. "That was just very…nice of you."_

_He chuckled. "You don't have to act so surprised, Kaylie. I'm a nice guy…most of the time."_

_Austin revved his engine and sped past the still wallowing college boys on the curb. Apparently Austin had an excellent memory; without assistance or direction, he traveled effortlessly toward the Cruz household, passing all the familiar streets to get Kaylie back home safely. Though he was a focused driver, he shot some side-glances toward her as they traveled. The tension in the car was so thick it could have been cut with a dull knife._

_It was times like these that Kaylie had to consciously remind herself how comfortable they used to be together – how easy life had been with him in it. She and Austin had spent the greater part of their time leading up to the Olympics dancing a fine line between friendship and undefined courtship. He had witnessed some of her most painful struggles during her recovery after Worlds trials. She had been there for him too, pushing him and challenging him more than any girl he'd ever met. Somehow, seven years later they were acting like two silent strangers sitting next to each other in a car._

_Austin pulled up into the Cruz's driveway and placed the Range Rover in park. The house before him was ominous and dark._

_"Are you staying here all alone?" he asked curiously. 'Where's your dad?"_

_"He's…on vacation" she lied. Then again, she might not have been lying. She honestly didn't know. "But it's nice to have alone time here. I don't mind." Austin knew she was lying, but he let it slide. For now he would let Kaylie play pretend._

_She sighed and opened the door to his car. Before she got out she turned back._

_"Thank you for tonight." She said sincerely, a soft smile on her face._

_Austin waved it off. "All in a day's work. On Monday you can go back to being mean to me."_

_They locked eyes for a minute then quickly looked away. Kaylie felt her cheeks flush. It was as if the inside of his car had just risen ten degrees. She quickly closed the door and ran inside. As she did so, a troubling but honest thought passed through Kaylie Cruz's head._

_If I hated Austin Tucker as much I pretended to, my life would be far less complicated._

"Kaylie? Kaylie Cruz?"

Kaylie sat up straight and shook off her reverie. Emily and Payson were waving their hands in front of her face.

"Man, you were zoned out..." said Payson.

"Sorry." Kaylie mumbled in embarrassment.

"Well," Payson said, letting out a content sigh. "All in all, I think that all of us are doing very well. I have to say, it's really nice to have you girls here in Boulder."

Kaylie smiled. She had to agree. Though resistant at first to the idea of revisiting her past, she had to admit that she was enjoying herself. After all, London didn't have Payson Keelers and Emily Kmetkos.

Unfortunately, their warm and fuzzy moment of friendship ended swiftly. The peace and calm of their grown-up luncheon came to a screeching halt when the expression on Emily's face fell. As if possessed by a spirit, she raised her arm and waved the nearest waitress over. Kaylie and Payson looked over at her curiously.

"We're going to need the check…" Emily said to the waitress, her face turning pale.

"Now?" Kaylie asked, feeling slightly disappointed. "Can't we stay and chat for a bit?"

"Uh…no I don't think so." Emily said. "I have to go."

"Why?" Payson asked.

"Because my water just broke."


	7. Babies, Babies, Babies

**Chapter 7**

"WHERE'S DAMON?"

Emily's sharp, crazed voice was bouncing off the blindingly white walls of the hospital. At a jog, Payson and Kaylie were following their friend as she was wheeled into a room in the maternity ward.

"I just got off the phone with him…" Payson said, trying to calm her friend down. "He just boarded a plane and he's on his way to Denver."

"But we're in BOULDER!" Emily cried out, stating the obvious.

"R-Right." Payson stuttered. "I left a message for Austin. He should be able to pick Damon up from the airport and drive him over as soon as possible. We have lots of time, Emily. Take a deep breath and calm down. Damon will get here."

Emily looked like she wanted to cry. The girls weren't used to seeing her express her emotions so…_openly_. Emily was usually a very rational being. Today, however, she had an excellent excuse to deviate from her normal personality traits.

"Does it hurt as much as it looks like it does, Pay?" she asked as the nurses helped her in bed and started to drape a hospital gown over her.

"Uh…" Payson began, not really wanting to get to the brutal truth just yet. Emily would find out soon enough. Instead Payson shot Kaylie a pleading look from across the bed.

Unfortunately, Kaylie Cruz had remained almost silent this entire time. Though alert enough to toss a VISA card at the waiter as they left lunch and flag down a cab for them from the curb, Kaylie was still rather dumbstruck by this particular miracle in life. After all, it wasn't as if she had extensive experience in this arena. At least Payson had gone through it before. Kaylie had never come close and frankly, she had never truly wrapped her mind around the beautiful (and horrific) reality of childbirth. The only references she had were unrealistic Hollywood scenes from romantic comedies. _This was definitely different…_

"I'm sorry!" Kaylie said apologetically, looking desperately back and forth between Payson and Emily. "This is just freaking me out."

"Freaking YOU out?" Emily asked half laughing. "I'm about to push something out of my –"

"WAIT ONE SECOND!"

The girls looked at Payson Keeler, whose "coach" voice had now risen to the top of the conversation. "Let's just pause." She suggested again rationally. "We're Olympians, people. We've performed stunts that most people couldn't even attempt with their bodies. Emily, women have babies everyday – some at home. You can do this. Don't be afraid."

That did the trick. Payson's words effectively halted Emily's panic attack. As Emily's breathing slowed and the beeping of her heart rate decreased, a nurse walked briskly in to the room and starting recording numbers on a chart. The three friends watched her curiously as she bustled about like a bee.

"Mrs. Young?" she asked Emily.

"Yes – that's me." Emily said, raising her hand awkwardly. "I'm the one having the baby."

The nurse chuckled. "Great. Well, Your doctor will get here very soon. I'm just getting everything in order for him."

"OK…" Emily said, nodding and feeling a bit better with this established order.

"Great!" she said. "So, let's just go over your birth plan."

Kaylie gulped. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear these details. She was starting to feel her cobb salad from lunch churning in her stomach.

The nurse glanced at some paperwork. "It looks like you're going completely natural."

"Yes, that's right." Emily said.

Payson's eyes widened and locked with Kaylie's. Both held their tongue and listened as Emily and the nurse went over the plan step by step. A few minutes later, the nurse left but with looks of terror and insecurity were still etched on Payson and Kaylie's faces.

"What?" Emily demanded once they were alone again. "You two look insane right now."

"Sorry…" Kaylie said. "It's just I didn't know you were doing it _completely_ natural."

"Well, yeah." Said Emily. "Damon and I talked it over with Dr. Carey. I didn't want to take drugs unless it the baby absolutely needed it. We all agreed. We talked it over. _Payson, why are you looking at me that way?"_

"I-I'm not looking at you in any way!" Payson said quickly, averting her eyes.

"You two – " Emily pointed between her two friends. "You better get it together, because if Damon isn't here then you're BOTH going into that delivery room with me."

"_Sweet Jesus…_" Kaylie muttered under her breath. There was nothing she'd love more than to support her friend, but she wasn't sure her weak stomach could take it. Despite the protective team-captain instincts that she couldn't shake, the girl was only human.

"Anyway…you did this before, Pay." Emily said trying to justify her decision. "If you can do it without the drugs, then so can I. Like you said…we're Olympians!"

"But Emily…" Payson said with a nervous laugh. Her cheeks were pink. "I had an epidural when I had Ally. I mean…_I was eightee_n, I wasn't invincible."

Emily didn't have time to react to Payson's news because, from what Kaylie could tell, her first truly painful contraction took over. This one didn't look like the ones she'd felt in the car or the waiting room. She'd borne those with ease. This was very different. Kaylie watched in pity as Emily gripped the sides of her bed and closed her eyes in pain.

"No…drugs?" she asked desperately through short breaths as she worked through the contraction. "Oh my God, Pay…If you can't do it then how the hell am I going to do it?"

Payson quickly ran over to Emily's bedside to hold her hand. Much optimism and encouragement spewed out from both Payson and Kaylie's mouths. Their verbal support was all they could offer. After all, they couldn't have the baby for her.

After three cups of ice chips and several more contractions, Sasha Belov unexpectedly walked into Emily's hospital room. He looked a bit disheveled, in fact.

"Thank God I found you all." He said, striding in and kissing Payson on the cheek. "I had to flirt with the nurse for her to let me back here."

Payson raised her eyebrow, but didn't look too offended.

"W-What are you doing here?" Emily asked with agitation, looking between Payson and her husband.

Sasha stepped forward and took Emily's hand firmly in his. "We're here to support you, Emily. Austin just called me from the road. Damon's flight is on time and should be landing soon so – "

But Sasha didn't finish his sentence. He was rendered speechless when Emily, under the influence of another painful contraction, yelled and squeezed his hand with an inhuman amount force.

"Good lord!" her old coach cried, staring at the point of contact between him and the pregnant woman. Judging by the pained look on his face, Kaylie guessed that his hand was about to fall off completely. "E-Emily," he continued, trying his best to sooth her and take his hand away. "Just breathe steadily and it'll be over soon. I'm right here cheering for you. Just –"

"SERIOUSLY? ARE YOU TRYING TO COACH ME RIGHT NOW?" Emily screamed through her contraction.

"Uh…."

"WELL STOP IT!" Emily yelled, pushing his hand away as the pain finally ended. She took a deep breath and glared at Payson. Clearly, Emily wanted her old coach out of her birthing room. Kaylie didn't blame her. She wasn't planning on having children, but if she ever changed her mind she sure wasn't going to let Sasha Belov witness the event. He was too used to bossing them around.

Payson gently pulled a confused Sasha away from the bedside. "Uh, sweetie." She started tactfully. "I might know more about this than you do…"

Sasha cleared his throat. "Right…"

"Maybe you should go to the waiting room and keep tabs on Austin and Damon?" She suggested.

"Great idea!" Kaylie said, rushing forward and grabbing Sasha's arm. "I'll go with him. Come on, Sasha. Let's go!"

She quickly led her old coach out of the room, not only to grant Emily's wish but also to get out of the room herself. Kaylie had many talents, but midwifery and biology were not among them. She knew she could serve her friend better from afar. Kaylie proceeded to drag Sasha Belov to the waiting room down the hallway. They both plopped their tired bodies down on cushy chairs. There they stayed for several hours, waiting between pacing expectant fathers and more pregnant women.

* * *

"I feel like I'm in the 1950's…" Sasha joked a few hours later. He and Kaylie were still sitting in the waiting room. "We're like the men waiting with cigars…far away from the real work."

"I'm sure Payson will let you in the room when it's your baby." Kaylie said absentmindedly as she flipped through a magazine.

Sasha Belov's face turned an unusual shade of red. When Kaylie glanced up she immediately realized her mistake.

"Oh my gosh…" she stuttered. "I'm so sorry. Payson mentioned something about you guys having kids and I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to tell you…but I just did, didn't I?" She bit her lip and basked in her shame.

Sasha's embarrassment began to fade. "Uh, no – don't worry about it."

Kaylie sighed and tossed him a magazine. She made a mental note to confess her blunder to Payson.

"Uh…Kaylie?" Sasha asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah?" Her face was still buried in Time.

"What's your opinion…about Payson and I having kids?"

Kaylie looked up awkwardly. Sasha's didn't look like her coach anymore. He looked like a nervous, clueless schmuck-of-a-husband asking his wife's friend for advice. Kaylie felt her heart melt a bit.

"Um…" she started. "Honestly, I don't have an opinion."

"Really? You must have some thoughts. Clearly, you all talked about it at your lunch."

Kaylie blushed. "Well, I think you two need to talk about it. You're both trying to guess what the other is thinking, but it's completely unnecessary. You both want the same thing, you just need to sort out the details."

"Right…" Sasha stared at the floor and nodded, letting the advice sink in.

"Then again, what do I know?" Kaylie joked off hand. "You're taking advice from the least maternal person in the world."

Sasha raised his eyebrow. "Who? You?"

"Duh." Kaylie said. "Eric and I already agreed – we just want it to be the two of us. I would make the worst mom ever…" She laughed to herself, but Sasha could tell she wasn't feeling lighthearted about her statement.

"Kaylie," he said seriously. "You were the most natural team captain I've ever coached. If that's not foreshadowing, I don't know what is."

Kaylie stared at Sasha, feeling her stomach drop."It's for some people like Payson and Emily, but not for me." she repeated.

Sasha sighed. He knew her better than she thought he did. "Just because your mom and dad disappointed you, it doesn't mean you'll do the same. Kaylie, if parental failures were hereditary, then I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I'd be getting a vasectomy on the second floor."

_"Kaylie! Sasha!"_

Kaylie had never been more relieved to hear Austin Tucker's voice. Not only had he diverted the attention away from her awkward conversation with Sasha, but he also brought a frazzled Damon Young with him into the hospital waiting room. It was a welcome site. A small girl was also perched on Austin's hip, clinging sweetly to his shoulder as he carried her.

Kaylie shot up from her seat. "I'm so happy to see you!" she cried more loudly than she intended.

Austin snickered at her choice of words – especially that they were directed at him. She watched her blush when she realized it herself. Ally jumped down from her father's arms and ran over to Sasha and hugged his leg.

"Did I miss it? Where's Emily?" Damon asked frantically looking in every direction.

"You didn't miss anything." Kaylie promised. "She's doing fine. We have plenty of time."

"You brought Ally?" Sasha asked Austin curiously as he motioned down to the small child below them.

"Yeah," Austin said. "Payson's parents aren't home so I couldn't drop her off. She's been tagging along. I'll stay with her here if you guys want to go back."

Ally tugged on Austin's pant leg. "But Dad, I want to see!"

"Oh no, sweetie. Trust me, _you don't want to see that_…" Kaylie said knowingly. She took Damon's hand and started leading him toward the hospital room. With a bit more flirting from Sasha and a wink from Damon the Rock Star, the nurses let the three behind the swinging doors.

Soon they were inside Emily's room again. Payson looked like she was at her wit's end. Poor Emily's face was pink with exertion; her face was to the side and her eyes were closed. She seemed to be whimpering in pain.

"Emily!" Damon cried, running forward and taking her hand.

"_Damon…._" She said through sobs. "I don't think I can do this."

"Yes you can! You can do anything!" he said cupping her cheek.

The scene was very odd – not only because there was a small crowd in the room, but because no one seemed to have a grasp on the situation at hand. Payson was trying her best, but there was only so much that one woman could do. Doctors and nurses kept running back and forth. The environment was very tense.

Obviously, it was the absolute worst time that someone's cell phone could ring.

Kaylie groaned as the embarrassing ring tone filed the room. Emily picked her head up and looked at her friend curiously. Kaylie laughed it off and fumbled for the device. When she finally got her hands on it, the screen read a name that was just too ironic to ignore.

_"You kidding me…"_

"What?" Payson asked.

"I-It's Lauren."

"What?" Payson cried, lunging forward to see the screen herself. In the process she unfortunately pressed the speaker button. Suddenly Lauren Tanner's voice was filling the hospital room.

"Kaylie? What's up?"

"Uh…" Kaylie wasn't sure how to answer that question without stating the obvious. "Emily's sort of having a baby. Can I call you back?"

"Wait? Am I on speaker? I am! I can hear my voice echoing. Who am I talking to?"

Before Kaylie could answer, another contraction hit Emily. Damon's eyes widened as he saw his wife's body being overtaken with pain. She cried out and squeezed her husband's hand.

"_Whoa…_" Lauren's loud voice echoed. "Was that what I thought it was?"

"Lauren!" Emily yelled angrily toward the device. "This is hard enough without talking to you in the middle of it!" She groaned as she tried her hardest to breath through her labor, but she was struggling. She turned to Damon again. "Damon, I really don't think I can do this…"

"Emily," Lauren Tanner's voice vibrated out over Kaylie's speakers with power. It had a hint of that familiar, daring tone they all knew and sometimes loathed. "Everyone in that room is probably someone you like a ton, which is all great and dandy, but if you're going to get through this you need me."

"What?" Emily asked in confusion. She bit her lip in pain.

"I want you to get focused! I want you to think of every bitchy, underhanded thing I ever said or did to you when we were teenagers…"

The anger in Emily's face softened and suddenly she seemed to gain a spark in her eye.

Lauren continued. "I want you to get mad at me! Channel all that energy into this. Just do it, Kmetko!"

Emily straightened up with a new found purpose.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "God," he said off hand to Sasha as she motioned toward Kaylie's phone. "That girl is an evil genius."

Suddenly, a nurse burst in to the room. Her hands were raised in frustration. "That's it! Everyone who is not married to Mrs. Young needs to exit this hospital room immediately! It's almost time for her to start pushing."

"We love you, Em." Kaylie called behind her shoulder as she, Sasha, and Payson were shoved out of the overflowing room. Emily didn't seem to need to boost. For the first time all day she looked completely in control. Like a gymnast about to take on a difficult vault, there was concentration and focus in her expression.

Exactly thirty minutes later, Kaylie, Payson and Sasha would hear the first cries of Kyle Kmetko-Young from the hallway outside.

* * *

** a/n - ** I had tons of fun writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! As always, reviews and feedback appreciated!


	8. The Lie

**Chapter 8**

"He's flexible. Did you see the way he bent his leg up before the nurse wrapped him up? That Kyle Kmetko-Young has some serious potential."

Payson Keeler smiled and rolled her eyes at her husband's comment. She, Kaylie, and Sasha were hovering outside the glass room housing all the newborns in the hospital. She and Sasha were conversing in hushed tones while Kaylie Cruz stood silent and dumbstruck at the cuteness before her. Her brown eyes were fixed on the tiny miracles in each clear crib.

"Sasha," Payson said. "Must you recruit him for the Rock the day he is born? Besides, all babies are flexible. You'll see."

Sasha Belov turned to his wife with raised eyebrows. A secretive expression was gracing her attractive features. He liked what she was implying.

"Mom!"

Ally Keeler ran down the hallway and jumped into her mother's arms. Payson picked her up with ease, giving the young girl an excellent view of the babies. Ally's eyes widened in amazement and she pressed her face to the glass.

"Did I used to be that small, Mom?"

"Yes – a very long time ago." Payson answered.

Kaylie turned to look at the pretty mother-daughter picture before her. Ally leaned her head against Payson's shoulder and Payson kissed the top of her head. Her heart started to ache for some inexplicable reason.

On Kaylie's other side, a man cleared his throat. She looked up and saw Austin Tucker silently standing next to her. Due to her daydreaming, she'd completely missed his entrance. He must've followed Ally from the waiting room to the maternity wing. His eyes were lovingly observing his daughter in Payson's arms. Suddenly, they traveled down and met Kaylie gaze. Her cheeks burned and she looked away quickly. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. It was as if she and Austin had been participating in a staring contest all week, only the rules were in reverse; instead of holding contact, the person who dodged connection won the battle. It wasn't something either of them enjoyed.

Kaylie glanced at her wrist out of habit. There was nothing there, but she still sighed and said, "I should get going."

"Are you sure?" Payson asked.

Kaylie nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you want a ride?" Austin offered, though he already knew her answer.

She shook her head. "Uh - No, you can stay here. I-I should've called Eric ages ago. He's probably wondering where I am…"

Like a colorful blur, Kaylie walked quickly down the hallway towards the elevators. Everyone watched her exit curiously, especially Sasha and Payson. The couple shared a knowing glance between them. That was enough.

"Uh…Austin." Sasha said timidly. "Not that it's anyone's business, but we couldn't help but notice how you and Kaylie sort of – "

"...repel one another." Payson finished his sentence.

"Yes…" Sasha said diplomatically. "You don't seem to be her favorite person."

Austin shoved his hands in his pockets and turned back to the rows of babies before answering. There they were, draped in pink and blue just lying there full of potential. They had no baggage yet. Each one was like an empty canvas without a background story. He envied their fresh beginning.

"Don't hold it against her," Austin said seriously, still staring at the babies. "I'm pretty sure I deserve all of it."

* * *

_Summer, 2012_

_Austin Tucker was a few things, but he wasn't a liar – at least not by nature. In fact, it was his blunt honesty that usually got him in trouble. He hated secrets and he especially hated misleading the people he cared about most. Despite this, he found himself forced into an impossible situation and he hated himself for it._

_He rang the doorbell of the Cruz home in Boulder, Colorado. As planned, Mr. and Mrs. Cruz answered the door and ushered him inside._

_"Thanks for coming over here, Austin." Mr. Cruz said, quickly closing the door behind them and leading him into the living room. Austin spotted the three large designer suitcases in the foyer curiously._

_"Are those Kaylie's bags for London?" he asked with a smirk. "She doesn't travel light, does she?"_

_Mr. and Mrs. Cruz exchanged insecure looks. "No, Austin." Mrs. Cruz said. "Those are mine. I-I'm dropping some of my things off in Florida before flying to the Olympics. We thought it would be easier that way. Everything will be ready after the games are over."_

_Austin's stomach dropped. "Wait – you're making the move right after the Olympics? And you haven't told even Kaylie about your official divorce yet?" Austin stood there in shock. He felt like he was in a pool of quicksand, getting lower and lower into a complicated lie._

_It had all started a few weeks ago when Austin was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He'd overheard the Cruzes arguing about their divorce. Before Austin could get away and feign ignorance, the couple latched on to him. It seemed that every few days one of them called him begging him to keep it a secret "for Kaylie" and asking him for advice on when they should tell her that the split was official._

_"Look," Mr. Cruz said. "We care about Kaylie and we want her to do her best at the Olympics. This only happens once in a lifetime for her and we don't want our personal business to ruin it."_

_"Sure, but don't you think she'll be mad when she finds out that you two played house for half a year just so she could win a stupid medal?" Austin pointed out rationally._

_"I thought you understood, Austin." Mrs. Cruz said. "I thought we were all on the same page."_

_Austin wished that he'd never gotten caught up in this mess. True, their reasoning was well intentioned and he also wanted Kaylie to do her best at the Olympics, but the lie was growing too big for comfort. As each day passed he felt more rotten about it. Like a festering wound, the guilt haunted him. Each time Kaylie Cruz smiled at him he wanted to crumble and tell her everything._

_"I-I want the best for her." Austin clarified. "I do. It's just... I'm not so sure I know what that is anymore. Maybe you should just be honest with her."_

_"What? Sit her down and tell her that her mother has already bought a house in Florida?" Mr. Cruz asked incredulously. "Tell her that we've been divorced this whole time and that now she has to smile for a camera and hop on a plane to London? Do you want to start that conversation, Austin?"_

_"D-Dad?"_

_Austin, Alex, and Ronnie turned toward a rasping, raw voice. Kaylie was at the doorway. She dropped her gym bag on the tiled floor and it landed with a thud. By the look on her face, Austin could tell that she had heard everything her father had just said._

_"Sweetie…" Mr. Cruz started towards her lovingly, but her shook her head and took a step back._

_Mrs. Cruz also attempted to close the distance. "Kaylie, please don't –"_

_"No." Kaylie said. She was blinking back tears, trying her hardest not to cry. Austin knew on some level Kaylie wasn't surprised by the news. She more than anyone knew her parents' marriage was on the rocks. She had no way of knowing, however, that they had been divorced for months and had been lying to her about it. How could she?_

_"Let's just talk about all of this." Mr. Cruz said. "I think that if we just sit down and –"_

_"Oh my God." Kaylie said, interrupting her father. Her eyes averted to Austin and her voice broke. "You knew about this, didn't you?"_

_Austin's heart felt like it was breaking along with hers. Her warm chocolate eyes were locked on him, begging him to deny it – begging for him to tell her that he hadn't contributed to the pain she was feeling. Austin, however, was done with lying at this point._

_He nodded. "I'm so sorry, Kaylie."_

_In second, the petite gymnast was sprinting in the opposite direction, out the door and down the street. Austin bolted after her, leaving the shocked Cruzes alone in their empty shell of a home._

_"Kaylie! Kaylie, stop!" he cried._

_It took two blocks for him to finally catch up with her. He had no idea she was so fast. He touched her arm gently and she whipped around. Anger was etched on her face._

_"How long have you known?" she finally demanded, tears streaming down her face. "A week? A month?"_

_Austin swallowed. "Six weeks."_

_Kaylie whimpered and wiped her face. "Jesus…you guys must think I'm pretty stupid."_

_"No!" Austin cried. "Kaylie, I would never think that."_

_Her nose was red and her cheeks were splotchy. If it hadn't been such a serious situation Austin might've cracked a joke or commented on how cute she looked when she was upset. This, however, wasn't the time for their usual banter. Austin and Kaylie were used to pawing at each other; it was their way and often times it was affectionate. After two years, Austin could tell the difference between the lighthearted fights and the serious ones. This was definitely a serious one._

_"Austin," She turned to him with a look that made his heart quicken. "These past two years you were always the one person I could count on…"_

_This truth was not surprising to him, but it sounded almost scary hearing her admit it out loud. Kaylie had been through a lot since he caught her during her Worlds beam routine. Since that moment to now, the two of them had been closer that ever. They'd entered an intimate realm between close friendship and romance. Austin had been biding his time during her recovery, always thinking of her first. Just a few more months, he'd tell himself. Then she'll be strong and confident again and she'll be ready for a relationship. Now it's seemed hiis impressive patience had been for nothing. Now, almost two years since her fall, she was standing in front of him again completely broken and at square one._

_"You know what?" she said, voice shaking. "I'm not surprised that they lied to me, but you…I never thought you'd do that."_

_"They were thinking of you, Kaylie." He tried to make her understand. "We wanted you to go to London with a clear head. This is your dream –"_

_"You think some stupid medal is my dream?" Kaylie asked, almost laughing. "You think that's what I care about? Do you know me at all?"_

_"Kaylie…" he started. Austin tried to grab her hand, but she flinched at his touch._

_She crossed her arms. "I can't believe I thought that you and I…" she stopped herself and laughed bitterly._

_"You thought what?" Austin asked frantically. "What did you think?"_

_She shook her head. "It doesn't matter now."_

_Kaylie walked past him quickly._

_"Wait!" Austin called, running after her once again. "Kaylie, say what you were going to say."_

_"I can't!" she cried stubbornly._

_"Kaylie," Austin jumped in front of her and blocked her path. "Your parents have nothing to do with us. I'm talking about you and me now, Kaylie. That was never fake. We were never the lie."_

_"It has everything to do with us – whatever we are!" Kaylie shot back. "You're just like them! You're just like Carter. Everyone who I've ever loved and trusted has lied to me – all to "protect" me. Well guess what? I don't need it anymore."_

_Austin paused. He couldn't help himself. "Wait – you love me?"_

_Kaylie sniffed, but chose not to respond to this. "I thought you were different, but I guess the joke's on me."_

_Kaylie took one last look at her Austin. For two years she'd considered him her first real love – a title that had previously been attached to Carter before she knew any better. Now, she wasn't sure if the concept existed at all. Without another word, she bolted home, leaving Austin Tucker on the sidewalk alone with his regret._


	9. Fall into the Gap

**Chapter 9**

Jessica Rudolph was feeling positive and upbeat, something that was hard to do at the end of a long day of practice. After hours of strength training, conditioning, and tumbling, her session at the Rock was coming to a close. Almost everyone else had gone by now except for fellow elite Nina Hart.

"You look happy." her friend commented with surprise. "Are you excited about the commercial?"

Jessica sighed, a huge grin spreading across her face. "Oh yes. It'll be the bright spot in my day."

Nina chuckled and shook her head, slinging her duffel over her shoulder. "Well, I'm glad for that. I think you could use some pampering. You deserve it."

"Why thank you." she beamed, glancing at the door. Any second now her agent, Kaylie Cruz and an entire television crew would be walking into the Rock. Kaylie had arranged to shoot the Gap commercial at the Rock. This had been difficult considering Sasha Belov's general distaste of sharing his space. She had to remind him that shooting in the gym meant that Jessica wouldn't have to take time to travel elsewhere. Granted, the filming had to occur in the middle of the night to avoid training conflicts, but Jessica was willing and Sasha eventually folded.

"You and Kaylie seem to be getting along nicely now." said Nina.

Jessica shrugged. "I think we misjudged each other. All that's behind us now. I'm just looking forward to -"

But Jessica Rudolph stopped mid-sentence. Nina watched her friend with interest. It looked like a frog was caught in her throat. She followed Jessica's line of sight and discovered the inspiration of her speechlessness.

Nathan Miles had just entered the Rock in his usual way - unassuming, head down, and surprisingly modest. The only thing different about him was his physical appearance. His long, somewhat unruly hair had been cut short and his glasses were absent as well. Nina smirked at Jessica's reaction to the changes, making a mental note to tease her friend on a later date.

"What?" Nathan asked self-consciously as he walked toward the two staring girls.

Jessica didn't respond verbally. She seemed incapable, so Nina took it upon herself to answer.

"Oh nothing." she said nonchalantly. "Looking good, Nathan."

"Oh." he said dismissively, as if just remembering the changes in his appearance. "Yeah, Austin made me cut my hair. Well, actually I think the Gap did. I doubt Austin cares that much."

"Well, it suits you." Nina said, shooting a sideways glance at the still silent Jessica. "I guess I should get going now...good luck on the commercial!" She gave her friend one final hug and then jogged toward the exit.

As Jessica Rudolph continued to stand still and make a fool of herself, the whole painful truth was dumped on her like a pile of bricks. Nathan Miles was a real boy - an honest to goodness, real boy. In fact, he was almost twenty-years old, devoid of cockiness, and a uniquely handsome quality made more obvious by his new haircut. These details might seem basic to others, but in Jessica's case it was easy to overlook them when all you cared about was your DOD.

Jessica glanced down at her now sweaty palms with embarrassment. The blonde southern firecracker didn't usually have this problem. She was used to being indifferent to boys because one, she was a world-class athlete and two, pretty girls like Jessica were used to little male interaction. Her looks and success made her unapproachable by default. Standing next to this new and interesting specimen, was suddenly making her hyperaware of all these things.

"Uh...Jessica?"

She looked up and smiled nervously. "Yes?"

Nathan furrowed his brow. "Are you OK? You're sort of pale."

"Oh I'm fine." she assured him. "Just ready for the commercial, you know."

Nathan looked at her skeptically, but didn't say anything else. From the little he'd observed Jessica Rudolph was a very strange girl.

The double doors of the Rock opened and a sea of people entered led by Kaylie and Austin. Judging by their animated hand gestures, the pair seemed to be in a heated argument. This was nothing new to Jessica or Nathan, however. At this point both were used to the constant conflict that existed between the coach and agent.

"Don't be ridiculous. It makes more sense for Jessica to be the focus of the commercial." Kaylie said dismissively.

Austin rolled his eyes. "The whole point was to highlight the pair of them - pair as in two."

_"I know what pair means_!"

Kaylie and Austin power walked by the gymnasts without giving them a second glance. Nathan whistled and gave Jessica a knowing look. She knew exactly what that meant and she agreed.

_The adults were insane_.

Suddenly, many pairs of hands descended on Jessica and Nathan. Before either could get a word in, someone was applying blush to Jessica's face and another person yanked Nathan's tee shirt over his head. Production assistants began poking and prodding them and holding up outfits to their muscular frames.

"I feel like a Barbie doll..." Jessica cried as someone she didn't know pulled her behind a partition to change. Nathan heard her and laughed.

A few hours later, the production team was just finishing set-up and Jessica and Nathan were fully clothed in Gap attire. Overall, everything had gone surprisingly well. The only element of uncontrolled chaos in the gym was the loud bantering between Kaylie and Austin Tucker.

"Just let me do my job!" she cried in frustration. Kaylie was walking around the Rock checking in with the cameramen and art directors. "We're on a timeline here, and you bothering me isn't going to get this done any faster. I don't even know why you're here. Sasha isn't here!"

"Of course Belov isn't here!" Austin said. "He avoids these things like the plague. I had to come and look after the interests of my gymnast."

Kaylie stared at him, hands on her hips. "Isn't that my job? I'm Nathan's agent, after all. In fact, I recall you begging me to take Nathan on not too long ago."

Jessica was watching the spat with a mixture of interest and distaste. Nathan walked over and stood by her side.

"This is so annoying." he whispered as he watched Austin and Kaylie go at it. "They are holding everything up."

"I have to be back here training in eight hours and we haven't even started shooting yet..." Jessica said sadly.

"Tell me about it." Nathan agreed. "I have to drive back to Denver."

Jessica sighed and gave him a look of pity.

"At this point, it might be easier if they just left." he said.

A peculiar smile spread across Jessica's face. Nathan raised his eyebrow, unfamiliar with her looks of inspiration. He didn't know this, but at the Rock Jessica Rudolph's reputation as a mischief-maker was well known. Last year she and Nina set up Sasha and Payson on a date – a prank that landed them a good talking to. Jessica had also pepper sprayed an over-enthusiastic reporter who was bothering her outside the Rock. Nathan wasn't aware of this hidden side to the reigning World Champion, but he was about to learn of it first hand.

"I can make that happen." Jessica said.

Nathan looked alarmed. This girl, standing just above five feet, was starting to sound like a mob boss.

"Excuse me?"

"See that door over there?" she asked, nodding toward the storage closet.

"Yeah." said Nathan.

"Well...one time I got stuck in there accidently. If you don't prop the door it locks automatically. It took half a day for someone to find me because the sound is muffled by the insulation."

"Is that so?" Nathan said, beginning to understand and appreciate her brilliance.

Jessica nodded and smiled. She walked over to her agent, still arguing to Austin Tucker. A small part of the gymnast was feeling guilty for what she was about to do. After all, she and Kaylie had just begun to bond. Still, her desire for peace and a few hours of sleep that night was her present priority.

"Kaylie?" Jessica asked, interrupting the argument.

"Yes?"

Jessica thought quickly on her feet. "The television crew is looking for another spotlight. Doesn't Sasha keep on in the storage room? I thought you might know."

"Uh..." Kaylie paused at the unexpected, random question. "I'm not sure. Maybe."

"Can you come check with me?"

Kaylie followed Jessica toward the closet - anything to get away from Austin Tucker. She was on her last nerve.

Nathan was holding the door open for them. Kaylie and Jessica entered the small room and surveyed the shelves.

"I don't see anything..." Kaylie said.

"Oh! There it is." Jessica said, waving vaguely upwards. "It's on the top shelf. Hold on while I get Austin. He's the tallest, so he can grab it for us."

Jessica jogged out the door and a second later came back with the 6'2'' coach. Kaylie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms when he entered. He pretended not to notice this.

"OK, where is it?" Austin asked, looking over the top shelves.

"Uh...it's up there somewhere." Jessica said as she slowly backed out of the room.

Austin furrowed his brow. "Sorry, but I don't see a spotlight up here..."

"Well, let us know when you find it." Nathan said casually. "Jessica, I think I hear the director calling us."

"Oh!" her eyes widened. "Well then we should go, shouldn't we?"

The two gymnasts closed the door, leaving Kaylie and Austin inside the storage closet.

"I still don't see anything up here." Austin said in agitation.

"Well, look harder." Kaylie suggested.

_"Gee, nice tip."_

"You know what?" Kaylie cried in frustration. "Just look for it by yourself."

She strode over to the door and pulled on the knob. She tried several more times before her memory kicked in and the whole, horrible truth dawned on her.

"Oh my God..."

"What?" Austin demanded.

Without explaining Kaylie began banging on the door.

"What the hell, Kaylie?" he asked, now distracted from his task. "What are you doing?"

"We're locked in here."

"Excuse me?"

"I totally forgot that this door locks automatically."

"What?" Austin's eyes grew wide. "You're kidding."

He started banging on the door too, smacking his hands loudly against the door. No one seemed to hear them.

"Someone will notice we're gone eventually." Kaylie finally said with reason. "Jessica and Nathan will remember we're in here. I mean, they can't just shoot the commercial without me..."

Austin pressed his ear to the door. "Well, by the sound of it I think they already are."

Kaylie gasped and pressed her ear to the surface as well, catching faint sounds of music, chatter, and equipment. The director was calling something out, but she couldn't understand.

"This can't be happening..."

* * *

Kaylie Cruz had heard of people getting caught in elevators before, but never in the old storage closets of elite gymnasiums. A few hours after their initial realization, both she and Austin were sitting in resignation on the floor. The only things keeping them company were the stacked water bottles and old, moldy mats in the corner.

"Pinch me." Austin moaned from the corner of the closet.

Kaylie leaned forward and complied with enthusiasm.

"Ouch!" he cried, rubbing his arm.

Kaylie went back to her spot on the opposite corner of the closet and folded her arms to her chest in a huff. This was literally the last place she wanted to be right now.

"Are you going to talk to me at all, or are you just going to sulk there until we're free?" Austin asked curiously.

Kaylie remained silent and Austin took that as a sound "yes."

"Fine." he said.

Austin Tucker began tapping his foot against the floor out of boredom. After a few minutes, Kaylie Cruz cracked just like he knew she would. To express her displeasure she chucked her purse at him. Austin caught it with ease and smirked.

"You're impossible!" she hissed. "Of all people on the planet, of course I get stuck in a five by four room with you…"

Austin Tucker narrowed his eyes. He was starting to reach his tolerance threshold. He understood Kaylie's hatred towards him – hell, he agreed with it for the most part. Still, there was only so much a man could take before he cracked completely. For the past few weeks he'd walked around with a target on his back and Kaylie Cruz either ignoring him or aiming for bulls eyes.

"OK, that's it!"

He stood up suddenly, towering over Kaylie. Her eyes widened and she blinked up at him.

"W-What?

"We're going to do this."

Kaylie's draw dropped.

"_Not that_…" Austin rolled his eyes. "I was referring to a verbal confrontation. Geeze, Kaylie get your bind out of the gutter."

Kaylie stood up and straightened her pencil skirt, trying to hide the pink blush in her cheeks. "_I don't know what you're talking about…"_

"Whatever." He dismissed. "We're stuck here, so we might as well take advantage of it. I need to get something off my chest without interruptions or accusations. Please, just let me have this one thing. You owe me that much."

"I wasn't aware I owed you anything." said Kaylie pointedly.

Austin stepped forward, folded his arms and looked her straight in the eye. This was something he used to do when they were younger to assert dominance. Usually, it was a flirty gesture, but this time it felt serious. Kaylie paused and surveyed the determination in his face. There was no way she was getting out of this room and clearly, there was no way she was getting out of this situation.

"Fine!" she folded, stepping back and creating more space between them. They'd gotten so close that she was having trouble breathing. "Talk before I change my mind."

Austin shook his head at her bitterness. He didn't like the way it looked on her. It was unattractive.

"You know what Kaylie?" he said. "I'm on your side. I hate myself half the time too, OK? I screwed up with you and I screwed up with Ally and Payson. Generally, I've screwed up all around and I'm more than willing to pay the consequences for that. What I won't do is stand here and let you treat me like some scapegoat for all your problems."

"What are you –?"

"Kaylie, you can't blame me for your parents' divorce."

"I'm not –"

"Yes, you are." Austin said. His voice wasn't harsh or accusatory. It was just honest. "Kaylie, I did something horrible to you years ago, and trust me when I say that I sincerely regret causing you pain. I know you're still hurting, but hating me isn't the right diagnosis to your problem. I mean, did you ever even t_alk to your parent_s about all of this? Do they know how you feel?"

"What do _you_ know about how I feel?" Kaylie asked.

"Kaylie, I haven't seen you in a few years, but you haven't changed as much as you think you have. You're still that girl who loves her family first and gymnastics second. No matter how hard you try to pretend like you don't care about either, I know better. I don't care what country you live in or who you're engaged to now. You're Kaylie Cruz and I know Kaylie Cruz."

When he finished his speech, Austin expected the worst. He thought Kaylie might throw something or scream, but nothing happened. She just stood there with her eyes down. The lines on her face softened, showing traces vulnerability – something he hadn't seen on her since before the Olympics.

"Kaylie?" he asked her.

Following an irrational impulse, Austin made a move to grab her hand. Before their fingers grazed, however, the door to the closet opened and Sasha and Payson were staring at them. Light was streaming in to the small space now, causing both Austin and Kaylie to look away from each other and squint.

"What the…." Sasha started in confusion. He didn't usually find people in the storage room when he opened the Rock.

"Kaylie? Austin?" Payson asked. "What are you doing here?"

Without answering, both bolted in opposite directions, away from the room and their newly confronted emotions.

Payson turned to her husband with an expression of pure confusion.

* * *

**a/n - **I'm having the worst writers block right now, you can't imagine. Sorry for the infrequent posts. I keep getting story ideas, but I won't allow myself to start them until this is done! Actually, I have a Sasha/Payson fic on the horizon that I'm quite excited to start...

Speaking of Sasha and Payson, I was quite sick the other day and needed a creative outlet so I made a video Heart of a Champion readers might enjoy. Here's the link: /watch?v=nkLrq7Ax_Bc I realized that one of my favorite songs just fit them perfectly and the temptation to create was too much. This was my very first attempt at a video, so sorry if it sucks. What can I say? I sort of miss writing those two...=) Enjoy!


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